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CWD tests mandatory Nov. 4-5; deer feeding ban remains

CWD tests mandatory Nov. 4-5; deer feeding ban remains

By Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Precautionary testing during the first two days of firearms deer season Nov. 4 and 5 will determine whether chronic wasting disease may have spread from captive deer to wild deer in central and north central Minnesota.

Wild deer in these areas are not known to have CWD, but mandatory testing of wild deer that hunters harvest is a proactive and preventative measure to protect Minnesota’s deer herd.

All hunters in affected deer permit areas will be required to have their harvested deer tested Saturday, Nov. 4 or Sunday, Nov. 5. After field-dressing their deer, hunters must take them to a sampling station. DNR staff will remove lymph nodes, which will be submitted for laboratory testing.

Central Minnesota deer permit areas with mandatory testing are 218, 219, 229, 277, 283 and 285. Northcentral Minnesota deer permit areas with mandatory testing are 155, 171, 172, 242, 246, 247, 248 and 249.

Deer harvested in southeastern Minnesota’s permit areas 343, 345, 346, 347, 348 and 349 also are subject to mandatory testing on Nov. 4-5 because of their proximity to CWD-infected wild deer in permit area 603.

Detailed information about mandatory CWD testing this fall, sampling station locations and a related precautionary feeding ban is available here.

A deer feeding ban is in place until 2019 for 11 central and north-central Minnesota counties surrounding two farms where multiple captive deer were infected with chronic wasting disease. Wild deer in these areas are not known to have CWD. The feeding bans are a proactive step to keep CWD at bay.

For a list of the counties affected by the ban, visit here.

Mandatory testing for CWD and restrictions on moving deer carcasses are in place during all deer seasons this year for hunters in deer permit area 603 in southeastern Minnesota. Hunters are encouraged to plan ahead and be aware of testing information and carcasses moving restrictions.

For more information, visit here.

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