The Minnesota DNR issued an emergency rule that temporarily prohibits the movement of all farmed white-tailed deer.
The main exception is for deer being transported to slaughter.
The rule, in effect now through the end of July, is in response to the “concerning developments” following the chronic wasting disease discovery in a Beltrami County deer farm.
This herd was depopulated earlier in May and had a total of 13 deer testing positive for the disease.
The owner of these deer also is said to have illegally disposed of carcasses on nearby tax-forfeited land, with CWD prions detected on the site.
These prions can be spread through direct or indirect contact with bodily fluids.
The disease is always fatal because the prions force proteins in the brain to fold abnormally.
Consuming meat from CWD-exposed animals is not advised.
Since there was confirmed movement of deer from this Beltrami farm, an additional nine deer herds in eight counties have been quarantined due to possible CWD exposure.
