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:
Click a section to expand:
Department of Agriculture. Contact: Dr.Sara Clariday, e-mail-
sara.clariday@tn.gov or Dr. Doug Balthaser, e-mail-
douglas.balthaser@tn.gov
Standard Regulations
No cervids from geographic areas where CWD diagnosed; CVI must state importing cervid originates from herd in CWD surveillance program . All cervids require an entry permit.
CWD Regulations for Captive Cervids and Wildlife
Department of Agriculture Rule: No person shall import CWD susceptible cervidae from an area where CWD has ever been diagnosed in wildlife. The cervidae must originate from a certified status herd that has had no loss or reduction in status during its program enrollment.. It is not legal to possess live white-tailed deer in TN. Tennessee has an approved, voluntary Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program and recognizes the certified status of herds with completion of 5+ years monitoring.
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
More than 19,000 hunter-harvested, roadkill, or clinical samples tested since 2002. Beginning in 2018, CWD surveillance employed a risk-based weighted surveillance strategy that takes into account risk factors such as surrounding states' surveillance programs, regulations and CWD status. This surveillance strategy led to the detection of 10 CWD positive deer in Fayette and Hardeman counties in December of 2018. Our emergency response efforts in later December 2018 and early January 2019 led to the discovery of 175 more positive deer in these two counties and an additional postive deer in neighboring Madison County. See CWDinTN.com for more information.
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. 186 total positives in Fayette, Hardeman, and Madison counties.