Annapolis, Md. — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces new regulations to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). These regulations, effective immediately, apply only to a small portion of Allegany County, and ban the use of bait and limit the movement of deer carcasses.

“Our goal with these regulations is to prevent the spread of this disease to other areas in Maryland and nearby states,” said Pete Jayne, DNR’s Game Program Manager. “We have focused these restrictions to be effective and enforceable while minimizing impacts to the strong deer hunting traditions found in Western Maryland, especially around the popular Green Ridge State Forest area.”

The regulations are necessary after it was confirmed that a white-tailed deer harvested in November 2010 in Green Ridge State Forest tested positive for CWD, the only confirmed case of CWD in Maryland.

The new regulations apply ONLY to the CWD Management area -the portion of Allegany County noted as Private Land Code 233 in the annual Guide to Hunting and Trapping. This section includes a portion of Green Ridge State Forest east of Flintstone and Oldtown.

In this area, feeding forest game birds and mammals is prohibited on both public and private lands. This regulation bans feeding on a year-round basis and includes feed placed for both hunting and non-hunting purposes. The ban prohibits fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, corn, wheat, other feed, salt or other mineral-based being placed out as attractants. Forest game birds and mammals are defined as wild turkey, grouse, deer, bear and squirrels. Gland and urine-based lures are still permitted. Normal agricultural practices and operations are exempted from this ban, including the planting and harvesting of crops and operations associated with livestock care. The normal feeding of song birds remains legal.

The transportation of certain parts of deer carcasses out of the CWD Management Area is restricted unless the carcass is being transported directly to an approved deer processor within Allegany County. The following parts of deer may be transported out of the CWD Management Area: Antlers with no meat or soft tissue attached, finished taxidermy mounts, clean hides with no head attached, boneless meat and skull plates cleaned of all meat and brain tissue.

B&B Butchering, 10649 Orleans Road NE, Little Orleans, Maryland. 301-478-2558 and B&B Country Meats, 11329 Upper Georges Creek Road, Frostburg, Maryland. 301-689-6225 are commercial deer processors cooperating with DNR to properly process deer taken from the CWD Management Area.

DNR is placing dumpsters at several locations within the CWD Management Area for use by hunters that choose to butcher their own deer. The hides, bones and other waste products that are left over after a deer is butchered should be placed in these dumpsters for proper disposal. Dumpster locations will be noted in posters placed throughout the CWD Management Area and can be seen online. Hunters may also call 301-777-2136 for a map showing the dumpster locations and cooperating processors.

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