Prepare for Deer Season by Knowing your State’s Chronic Wasting Disease Resources 

Why it Matters: With the fall weather approaching, many deer hunters are starting to dial in their equipment and scout out their hunting spots. One important factor hunters should take into account, while scouting new hunting spots, is potential Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) restrictions or other management considerations.  The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) recommends accessing state fish and wildlife agency websites for updates on CWD zones and resources they offer for testing.  

Highlights: 

• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected in 35 states.  

• In December of 2022, CSF supported the passage of the CWD Research and Management Act which provided $70 million annually for the scientific research and management of CWD. 

• State fish and wildlife agencies offer resources for hunters to have their harvested deer, elk, caribou, or moose tested for CWD.  

• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Iowa State University to offer courses in chronic wasting disease.  

Chronic Wasting Disease is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease that has a long incubation period. In deer, elk, caribou, or moose that are infected, CWD may not present any visible signs of the disease for up to two years. As CWD progresses, infected cervids show changes in their behavior and appearance. Hunters should include CWD zone research as part of their preseason planning before they hit the field this fall.  

The CWD course being offered by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is aimed at developing a well-educated network of leaders to effectively communicate the management and mitigation of CWD. The course will be three weeks long and once participants finish the course, they will be knowledgeable in the management, prevention, and testing for CWD, and equipped with communication skills and resources to help educate others.  

For additional information on CWD, relevant courses, and testing resources, please check your state fish and wildlife agency’s website before heading afield this fall to fill your freezer. 

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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Introduction Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease occurring in farmed and free-ranging deer, elk, caribou, and moose. The disease was first recognized in 1967 as a clinical ‘wasting’ syndrome of unknown cause in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies […]