Due to the regular amending of regulations in Tennessee, it is recommended that before hunting you check these CWD regulations, as well as those of any other states or provinces in which you will be hunting or traveling through while transporting cervid carcasses. The contact information for Tennessee can be seen below:
Last update was October 2021
Click a section to expand:
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
ALEXA MCCOURT, DVM |Staff Veterinarian
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Ellington Agricultural Center
Box 40627
Nashville, TN 37220
Phone: 615-837-5120 Fax: 615-837-5250
alexa.mccourt@tn.gov
www.tn.gov/agriculture
Standard Regulations
Intrastate movement and maintenance
Any person who holds captive cervidae within the state must:
(i) Annually report to the department herd inventory, including the location, number and species of cervidae held, on or before February 1 of each year on forms provided by the department;
(ii) Immediately report to the department any captive cervidae illness or death within 24 hours of discovery; and,
(iii) Make the carcass of any dead captive cervidae available to the department for testing ordered by the state veterinarian.
No person shall move captive cervidae within the state unless:
(i) The cervidae is identified by two forms of identification, one of which must be an official tag or microchip used within the department’s CWD Herd Certification Program; and,
(ii) The state veterinarian has provided prior written approval authorizing the movement.
CWD Regulations for Captive Cervids and Wildlife
Tennessee has an approved, voluntary Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program and recognizes the certified status of herds with completion of 5+ years monitoring
Importation (CWD section):
(i) No person shall import CWD susceptible cervidae from an area where CWD has been detected by a state or federal animal health control official. The control zone around such area shall be 50 miles in radius, unless otherwise ordered by the state veterinarian for good cause shown.
(ii) Any person who imports CWD susceptible cervidae shall have in his possession:
(I) Proof that the cervidae originated from a certified status herd that has not suffered a loss or reduction in status during its program enrollment; and,
(II) A certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI), completed in full; and, an entry permit, obtained by the veterinarian issuing the CVI, for the cervidae.
New CWD Regulations in Development
NA
CWD Testing Program For Captive Cervids
Surveillance performed on a voluntary basis, except mandatory for those facilities in or working toward certification. Mandatory testing on CWD susceptible cervids held and harvested on wildlife preserves. Wildlife preserves may only obtain CWD susceptible cervids from certified herds.
CWD Testing Program For Wildlife
Beginning in 2018, our CWD surveillance employed a risk-based weighted surveillance strategy that led to the detection of 10 CWD positive deer in Fayette and Hardeman counties in December of 2018. In order to monitor CWD where it is known to be present and continue surveillance in the rest of the state, we have developed an extensive hunter service testing program that includes partnering with meat processors, taxidermists, testing laboratories, TN Wildlife Federation, Cornell University, and more,. From implementation of the surveillance strategy in 2018 and the end of the 2020-2021 deer season, we have tested over 42,000 deer for CWD. Most of these deer are hunter harvested, but roadkill and clinical deer are tested as well. We have a targeted removal program and a CWD Management Permit for landowners program, both of which incorporate CWD testing for free-ranging Cervids.
Baiting Banned?
No baiting allowed.
Feeding Banned?
Feeding is banned in positive CWD counties & high risk CWD counties with the following exceptions: (a)feed placed within one hundred (100) feet of any residence or occupied building; or (b) feed placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer; or (c) feed placed as part of a wild hog management effort authorized by the agency; or (d) feed and minerals present solely as a result of normal agricultural practices, normal forest management practices, or crop and wildlife food production practices. A high risk CWD county is any county that does not have a confirmed case of CWD but is within 10 miles of a confirmed case of CWD.
Ban On Movement of Animal Parts?
No person may import, transport, or possess in Tennessee a cervid carcass or carcass part from anywhere outside state except as provided herein:
(a) Meat that has bones removed; (b) Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, or cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull); (c) Cleaned teeth; (d) Finished taxidermy and antler products; (e) Hides and tanned products.
No person may export a cervid carcass or carcass part harvested from a high risk CWD county. Cervid carcasses or carcass parts harvested in a high risk CWD county may be exported from a high risk CWD county if: (a) The carcass parts are meat that has bones removed; (b) The carcass parts are antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, or cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull); (c) The carcass parts are cleaned teeth; (d) The carcass parts are finished taxidermy and antler products; (e) The carcass parts are hides and tanned products; (f) The carcass or carcass part is exported to another high risk CWD county and only transported through other high risk CWD counties; or (g) The carcass or carcass part is exported to a positive CWD county and only transported through high risk CWD counties or positive CWD counties, but in no event may a cervid carcass or carcass part be transported to another high risk CWD county through a positive CWD county.
A high risk CWD county is any county that does not have a confirmed case of CWD but is within 10 miles of a confirmed case of CWD.
CWD Found in Captive Cervids?
No
CWD Found In Free Ranging Cervids?
Yes