North Dakota CWD Regulations

Due to the regular amending of regulations in North Dakota, 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 North Dakota can be seen below:

Last update was October 2021

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[accordion tag=h3][accordion-item title="Agency & Contacts" id=Agency-Contacts]State Board of Animal Health; Contact Dr. Beth Carlson, bwcarlson@nd.gov (701)328-2654. North Dakota Game & Fish: Contact Dr. Charlie Bahnson, cbahnson@nd.gov, (701) 202-0775[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="Standard Regulations" id=Standard-Regulations]Facilities must be approved prior to ownership of deer and elk, and deer owners must obtain a non-traditional livestock license. Captive cervids must meet standards of risk assessment. Must be free of all contagious and infectious disease. Genetic testing (for purity) required for elk in ND zones 1 & 2. Animals must not be infected with or exposed to Johne's disease. Must be negative to two official brucellosis tests, one being the CF. Whole herd TB test within 12 months. In lieu of testing, Brucellosis-free and TB-free herd status is recognized. Annual inventory reports required for all cervids. Deer must be individually identified with USDA silver tag by 12 months of age, and elk by 24 months of age. Additional restricitons apply to reindeer, red deer, and red deer/elk hybrids.[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="CWD Regulations for Captive Cervids and Wildlife"]For importation: Must complete CWD 5-Year Risk Assessment Questionnaire (or have 5 year status) and fax to Board of Animal Health prior to entry permit issuance; cervids and originating herds must have no history of emaciation, depression, excessive salivation or thirst, or neurological disease. If symptoms arise, diagnostic measures must be taken to rule out a TSE.[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="New CWD Regulations in Development"]N/A[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Testing Program For Captive Cervids"]Board of Animal Health has mandatory inventory (since 1993). CWD testing was mandatory (since 1998) for farmed elk, white-tailed deer and mule deer over 12 months of age that die for any reason. As of November 1, 2013, over 9900 farmed deer and elk have been tested, with no evidence of CWD. As of October 2017 participation in the CWD testing program has become voluntary.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Testing Program For Wildlife"]ND Game & Fish Department has conducted Targeted Surveillance of free-ranging cervids since 1996. Hunter-harvested deer and elk surveillance began in 2002. As of April 1, 2020, approximately 3000 animals are tested annually. CWD was first detected in Sioux County in 2009 and was detected in neighboring Grant County soon afterward. CWD was detected in Divide County in 2018; Williams and McKenzie counties in 2019; and Bottineau county in 2020. [/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Baiting Banned?"]Deer Hunting Units 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 3C west of the Missouri River; 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 4A, 4B, 4C.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Feeding Banned?"]Banned in State Wildlife Management Areas and Federal Lands.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Ban On Movement of Animal Parts?"]Ban on importation of whole carcasses and carcass parts of white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk harveseted outside North Dakota and hunting units in ND where CWD has been detected. Hunters may import the following parts: meat that is cut and wrapped (commercially or privately), quarters or other portions of meat with no part of spinal column or head attached, boned out meat, hides without heads attached, clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached, antlers with no meat or tissue attached, upper canine teeth (buglers, whistlers, or ivories), and finished taxidermy heads.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Found in Captive Cervids?"]No[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Found In Free Ranging Cervids?"]Yes[/accordion-item] [/accordion]

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