The latest results of chronic wasting disease testing of Kentucky deer and elk returned encouraging news. None of the tests came back positive for the fatal brain disease.
Monitoring the state’s deer and elk herd for CWD by the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will be among the topics at four public CWD forums planned across the state.
The first community forum is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. April 18 at the Camp John Currie dining hall, 295 Camp Currie Road. The camp is on the shore of Kentucky Lake. Times, dates and locations for the remaining forums will be announced at a later date.
CWD has not been detected in Kentucky, but six of the seven states bordering the Commonwealth are CWD positive. Indiana is the exception. Tennessee confirmed its first cases of CWD in late 2018.
Proactive measures by Fish and Wildlife and its partners have helped protect Kentucky’s deer and elk from the disease. Since 2002, the department has tested close to 30,000 deer and elk. Most of those animals were harvested by hunters. Every county has been tested multiple times.
Fish and Wildlife personnel will be on hand at the public forums to discuss CWD, the department’s readiness, should it be detected in Kentucky, and to answer questions and gather public input about CWD preparedness.
The regional forums are part of the plan to double down on the department’s efforts to educate the public about CWD. Fish and Wildlife plans to roll out other outreach efforts this year, including printed materials, videos, presentations and more.
To learn more about the CWD response plan, click here and here.