No chronic wasting disease (CWD) was detected in hunter-harvested deer in southeastern Minnesota during the 2014 firearms season, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The discovery of the disease in a wild deer earlier this year in Allamakee County, Iowa, triggered the Minnesota DNR’s surveillance effort. The Iowa county borders Houston County in southeastern Minnesota.
During the Minnesota firearms deer season, hunters voluntarily brought deer to be sampled for CWD at eight registration stations throughout deer permit areas 348 and 349. In total, the DNR sampled 411 deer within the two permit areas.
“We thank Minnesota’s deer hunters for their cooperation,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health specialist. “By voluntarily allowing us to take samples from their deer, hunters are helping us keep our state’s deer herd healthy.”
This latest sampling effort suggests that CWD does not exist in Minnesota’s wild deer herd, or is at a level so low that it has not been detected during many years of surveillance.
The DNR does respond to reports of suspect deer across the state and tests them according to symptoms exhibited. Statewide, the DNR tests about 75 sick deer each year.
Detailed information on management, surveillance and a full version of the DNR’s response plan can be found online.