Alberta CWD Regulations

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

Last update was October 2021

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[accordion tag=h3][accordion-item title="Agency & Contacts" id=Agency-Contacts]Provincial contact for captive cervids: Animal Health and Assurance Branch: Dr. Keith Lehman, Chief Provincial Veterinarian, e-mail: keith.lehman@gov.ab.ca, Ph 780-427-6406.[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="Standard Regulations" id=Standard-Regulations]Provincial regulations allow the raising of elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer and moose. Cervid farming is closely regulated. Farms are inspected and issued a license every five years. Animals must have official identification. A provincial database records all animal inventories and movements that are reported by the farmers and audited by the province.
Import protocols are in place to decrease the risk of importing cervids that carry CWD or other diseases of concern for the province.
[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="CWD Regulations for Captive Cervids and Wildlife"]Alberta Mandatory CWD Surveillance Program in captive cervids since 2002. Also, mandatory submission of hunter-killed deer heads in designated CWD surveillance areas.[/accordion-item][accordion-item title="New CWD Regulations in Development"]The Alberta Mandatory CWD Program has been in place since 2002. It was reviewed and updated in 2011. The principles of the program remain unchanged.

In follow up to changes in federal CWD control programs, Alberta will implement control measures under the provincial Animal Health Act for control of the disease on farms that will no longer fall under federal controls. The program will include ordering animals from positive premises to slaughter and restocking restrictions for positive premises.

[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Testing Program For Captive Cervids"]Mandatory surveillance on all deaths of captive cervids over 1 year of age including slaughter from August 2002 to present. Before that time, voluntary surveillance was conducted on captive cervids between October of 1996 and August of 2002. Link to surveillance results: https://www.alberta.ca/mandatory-chronic-wasting-disease-surveillance-program.aspx [/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Testing Program For Wildlife"]Ongoing surveillance on wild cervids since fall 1996 - primarily hunter-kills plus clinical cases and road kills. The first positive wild deer was found in September 2005; the first positive hunter-kill was shot in December 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Division uses increased fall hunting opportunities in designated CWD risk areas to monitor occurrence and spread of CWD. Mandatory submission of deer heads is required in designated high risk areas. To get an update on CWD on wild cervids, please visit: alberta.ca/cwd[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Baiting Banned?"]No baiting of cervids allowed.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Feeding Banned?"]No ban.[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="Ban On Movement of Animal Parts?"]In 2008 the Fish and Willdlife Division initiated voluntary carcass handling and transportation guidelines in CWD risk areas and in conjunction with carcasses coming to Alberta from CWD risk areas outside the province[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Found in Captive Cervids?"]One elk herd and one WTD herd in 2002, two elk herds in 2015, one elk herd in 2016, and one elk herd in 2018. In 2019, one elk herd and two white tail deer herds (linked) have had positive detections. In 2020, CWD detected in ten elk farms in seven separate investigations (three linked to other detections). In 2021, CWD detected on two premises (farmed elk).[/accordion-item] [accordion-item title="CWD Found In Free Ranging Cervids?"]Primarily mule deer, with spillover documented in white-tailed deer, a few elk, and moose. Details available at alberta.ca/cwd[/accordion-item] [/accordion]

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