Don't look now, but the presence of chronic wasting disease in Hampshire County deer might soon take a back seat to a new public-health concern - the potential presence of lead in deer meat.

Officials in North Dakota suspended distribution of hunter-donated venison to food pantries after a Bismarck-based dermatologist warned that lead bullet fragments had showed up in 60 of the 100 meat packets he tested.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the Midwest, and the ripples are slowly spreading to other states with donated-venison programs. Minnesota and Iowa quickly suspended their programs. West Virginia's "Hunters Helping the Hungry" initiative, which last year provided 25 tons of venison to food banks and needy families, is still operating.

"To my knowledge, we have not tested [our program's meat] and do not plan on testing any," said Curtis Taylor, wildlife chief for the state Division of Natural Resources. "I don't think there's any reason for concern."

Taylor said there is one overriding reason why West Virginians shouldn't worry about eating Hunters Helping the Hungry venison.

"The people who process the meat are all professional meat cutters, certified by the state Department of Agriculture," he explained. "They know to cut out any meat that might have bullet fragments in it."

He added that if North Dakota's program accepted deer butchered by hunters or by non-certified meat cutters, lead contamination would be more likely.

"We don't use 'Joe Blow's Garage'-type meat cutters here," he said. "Our program uses professional butchers. I'd be very surprised if any lead showed up in our venison."

Taylor called North Dakota's decision to toss all hunter-donated venison into a landfill "a knee-jerk reaction." He believes that a more thorough analysis of hunter-donated meat would likely reveal little or no lead.

Shortly after Iowa officials suspended their program, they had some venison samples analyzed. The testing turned up no lead in eight of 10 samples, and only trace amounts in the other two. As soon as the results came back, venison distribution resumed in Iowa.

Officials in North Dakota suspended distribution of hunter-donated venison to food pantries after a Bismarck-based dermatologist warned that lead bullet fragments had showed up in 60 of the 100 meat packets he tested.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the Midwest, and the ripples are slowly spreading to other states with donated-venison programs. Minnesota and Iowa quickly suspended their programs. West Virginia's "Hunters Helping the Hungry" initiative, which last year provided 25 tons of venison to food banks and needy families, is still operating.

"To my knowledge, we have not tested [our program's meat] and do not plan on testing any," said Curtis Taylor, wildlife chief for the state Division of Natural Resources. "I don't think there's any reason for concern."

Taylor said there is one overriding reason why West Virginians shouldn't worry about eating Hunters Helping the Hungry venison.

"The people who process the meat are all professional meat cutters, certified by the state Department of Agriculture," he explained. "They know to cut out any meat that might have bullet fragments in it."

He added that if North Dakota's program accepted deer butchered by hunters or by non-certified meat cutters, lead contamination would be more likely.

"We don't use 'Joe Blow's Garage'-type meat cutters here," he said. "Our program uses professional butchers. I'd be very surprised if any lead showed up in our venison."

Taylor called North Dakota's decision to toss all hunter-donated venison into a landfill "a knee-jerk reaction." He believes that a more thorough analysis of hunter-donated meat would likely reveal little or no lead.

Shortly after Iowa officials suspended their program, they had some venison samples analyzed. The testing turned up no lead in eight of 10 samples, and only trace amounts in the other two. As soon as the results came back, venison distribution resumed in Iowa.

Wisconsin officials took a similarly measured approach. Health administrators devised a testing program, and the Badger State program continued apace.

Predictably, both anti-hunting and pro-hunting forces are trying to score political points from North Dakota's situation.

Animal-rights and vegetarian groups hope the dermatologist's findings discourage other states from distributing hunter-donated meat. Pro-hunting groups say program suspensions in North Dakota and Minnesota are "overreactions." Some in pro-hunting circles have gone so far as to question whether the doctor who revealed the North Dakota contamination might have anti-hunting motives.

Such suspicions appear to be unfounded. By almost every account, Dr. William Cornatzer is an avid hunter. He told the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune that he "about fell out of [his] chair" when he discovered lead fragments in the samples he tested.

Cornatzer said he would continue to hunt and to eat the animals he kills, but added that he would use copper bullets instead of lead.

"I've already purchased four boxes," he said.

The DNR's Taylor said that the subject of contaminated venison came up last week at an International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

"It was brought up in the Fish and Wildlife Health Committee," he said. "The general consensus was that there isn't much worry about.

"The last thing we want to do is do a 'Chicken Little' and say the sky is falling. These programs provide a reliable source of red meat for people who really need the protein, and they should continue to do so."