Mandatory chronic wasting disease testing is returning this hunting season.
Due to CWD being detected on a Beltrami County deer farm, and the farmer dumping infected carcasses on nearby tax-forfeited land, some local deer permit areas are now part of CWD zones.
The mandatory testing will be held over both opening weekends of firearm deer hunting, and any deer one year or older harvested in a CWD zone must be submitted for testing.
The deer permit areas identified near the Beltrami farm are 184, 110, 197, and part of 169 west of Highway 6.
Voluntary submissions will be accepted at self-service stations throughout hunting season, starting with the opening of archery season. Sampling stations are listed online.
“Test results show how prevalent chronic wasting disease is in certain areas, which helps us tailor our management actions to focus on areas where the disease is concentrated,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health specialist.
“The DNR’s aggressive, risk-based response is based on the best available science, and hunter-provided samples are a crucial component in helping us monitor the health of our wild deer herd.”
Hunters should check the DNR’s CWD webpage, subscribe to the Deer Notes newsletter, or monitor the Wildlife Facebook or Twitter pages for any modifications closer to the season.
