(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is aiming to test 19,200 deer for chronic wasting disease in the upcoming hunting seasons.
They are especially looking to test in areas where CWD has already shown up in deer.
Deer can have the disease for a year and a half without showing outward signs. It’s a contagious and fatal neurological disease that can infect deer, elk, moose and caribou.
The infection can spread through direct animal-to-animal contact or through bodily substances or the carcass of infected deer.
The DNR works to test deer and provide hunters with proper locations to dispose of animal carcasses to prevent the spread of the disease as one infection can be spread to multiple other animals.
Wisconsin DNR Deer Herd Specialist Erin Larson said that it’s important for hunters in priority areas to submit samples and to continue hunting.
“To continue to harvest deer is one of the best ways to keep our deer herd healthy,” Larson said.
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If an antlered deer is tested and registered positive for CWD, the hunter will receive a replacement good statewide and, if the deer is antlerless, the hunter will receive a duplicate of the same tag for the same region. The replacement will be added to the hunter’s Go Wild account within two to four days of the positive test and will be good for 2024 and fall 2025.
Sixty-one counties also have baiting and feeding bans, which can be found on the DNR website.