WAUTOMA, Wis. — The Department of Natural Resources is again asking deer hunters in southeastern Portage County and northwestern Waushara County to participate in a chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance program. Hunters can help with this survey by allowing the collection of their adult deer’s head at designated deer registration stations during specified times.
This surveillance is necessary to monitor for the occurrence of CWD in the wild deer herd in this area. CWD has not been detected here from sampling done in 2002 and 2003. But, CWD has been found in several individual deer in a commercial deer farm near Almond. The surveillance area for the wild deer herd surrounds the Almond area in a portion of deer Units 65A and 65B. The surveillance area lies north of Hancock and northwest of Wautoma in Waushara County, west of the Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes, and southeast of Plover in Portage County.
Hunters in this surveillance area can participate during the bow season and the early Zone T, antlerless, gun season by registering their deer in Almond at Swan Oil located at 111 Main Street. During normal deer registration hours at this location, station attendants can collect the adult deer head as part of the registration process.
During the opening weekend of the regular gun deer season, November 20 and 21, hunters in the surveillance area can also participate in this effort at the following locations:
- Swan Oil in Almond, 111 Main Street
- The Blaine Store in Blaine, 9404 County Road D (intersection of County Roads D & A)
- Hancock Mini-mart in Hancock, 231 West North Lake Street (near the I-39 exit)
- Mr. Ed’s Place, near Wild Rose, W6943 County Road GH
As part of the opening weekend, registration process at these locations, attendants will collect donated, adult deer heads for the survey. Hours may vary between the collection sites. For more information about chronic wasting disease, deer hunting regulations, and registration stations, visit the Department of Natural Resources web site at www.dnr.wi.gov.