Yes, they say the spinal cord is the conduit for the disease; and even if I shot a deer and had the ability to test it, I would not take it to a butcher. The potential risk is too great. Much is unkown, too much.
But, let's take a look at reality here. I was a meat cutter for almost a decade. The pirons are, from what I have been able to asertain, all through the meat, they just concentrate in the spinal fluid. Is a butcher shop going to wash their grinder between deer? Nope. At $10-15/hr they can't afford to. There will always be some mixing of meat. This is why pork is ground last; they HAVE to wash it before grinding anything else.
I have my own grinder, it's a small one that I got through Cabelas (sp? Sorry!). But, given my history; I like to take the meat through the entire process myself.
With the situation in WI, I would not take any meat to a butcher; there is too much chance of a mix of meat; and who knows how the guy who's deer was ground before you treated his - or if he bothered to test it (assuming we get the USDA to let go of their strangle-hold on testing).
Oh, and as far as the saw, do you have any idea how hard it is to clean off the blade on a meat band saw? The entire thing needs to be dis-assembled. In the past it wasn't a major problem, but now....
Mark A Sity