Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed In 2 New Minnesota Permit Areas

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources continues to work with Minnesotans to identify and control cases of Chronic Wasting Disease within the state.

Chronic Wasting Disease, which has been found in more than two-thirds of the states in the U.S., is a fatal neurological disease that affects cervids, including white-tailed deer, moose, and elk, and has no known cure.

While Minnesota's chronic wasting disease numbers are relatively low compared to other states, the disease has been increasing in some areas, which is a concern. It's an even bigger concern when the disease is detected in new deer permit areas, but that is what was recently reported.

Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed In 2 New Minnesota Deer Permit Areas

According to the DNR, two adult male deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in two deer permit areas (DPAs) without any previously confirmed cases.

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One deer was harvested in DPA 266 near Hawley in Clay County, and the other in DPA 701 near Greenfield in Hennepin County. Both deer were harvested during firearms deer season.

The discovery was made after hunters submitted tissue samples through the DNR’s partner sampling program, which consists mostly of taxidermists.

The closest CWD-positive wild deer to the one detected in DPA 701 is 31 miles from a positive in DPA 605. The CWD-positive wild deer in DPA 266 is roughly 54 miles from the confirmed positive near Climax, Minnesota.

Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, says this is concerning it shows new areas of CWD where it hadn't been previously detected. It also reiterates how important disease surveillance efforts are and how crucial it is for hunters to be able to test harvested deer anywhere in Minnesota.

What Happens Next?

The DNR says that following the detections in DPAs 266 and 701, it will now implement measures outlined in its CWD response plan, which calls for three consecutive years of testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease near the detections.

Within DPAs where CWD has been detected and confirmed, DNR officials use multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, a deer feeding and attractant ban, and, sometimes, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits.

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This fall, additional management actions will likely be taken, including establishing a new CWD management zone and surrounding surveillance area to help better understand the distribution and prevalence of this disease in the area. Late-season hunting, landowner shooting permits, and targeted culling may also come into play.