CWD detected in a wild deer near Wabasha

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CWD detected in a wild deer near Wabasha



The adult male deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease near Wabasha was harvested in deer permit area 342 during the opening weekend of firearms season. The Minnesota DNR had added DPA 342 to the CWD surveillance zone this year in response to detections of CWD in wild deer in bordering Buffalo County, Wisconsin in 2022.

The discovery highlights the importance and necessity of our disease surveillance efforts. Thank you, hunters, for your help in combatting CWD by getting your deer tested for CWD when required and complying with carcass movement restrictions.

With the new discovery, the DNR’s current CWD response plan calls for three years of mandatory testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease in DPA 342 and surrounding DPAs.

Much of southeastern Minnesota includes areas where CWD has been found in wild deer, or areas that are considered at risk for disease transmission. Statewide, the Minnesota DNR has tested more than 130,000 deer since 2002. As of Dec. 8 a total of 252 have tested positive. Most of those cases occurred in southeastern Minnesota. These data indicate the disease remains relatively rare in Minnesota.

Within DPAs where CWD has been detected, the DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, dumpsters, a deer feeding and attractants ban, and sometimes increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits.

CWD affects cervids, which include white-tailed deer, moose and elk, and has no known cure. It is found in more than half of the states in the U.S.

More information about CWD, what the DNR is doing to limit disease spread and protect the health of Minnesota’s white-tailed deer, and information for hunters about current and upcoming hunting seasons, is available on the DNR website.