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Polk County will be one of the counties conducting mandatory chronic wasting disease sampling of deer harvested this weekend.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is conducting sampling in 31 of the 48 counties of its CWD Management Zone during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season, Nov. 10 and 11, according to an MDC news release.
Other counties involved include Adair, Barry, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Cedar, Cole, Crawford, Franklin, Grundy, Hickory, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Madison, McDonald, Mercer, Moniteau, Ozark, Perry, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren and Washington.
Hunters who harvest deer from these counties Nov. 10 or 11 must take their deer — or the head with at least 6 inches of the neck in place — on the day of harvest to one of MDC’s 61 CWD mandatory sampling stations, the release said. Deer may be presented at any mandatory sampling for free test results.
Polk County’s sampling station will be at the Bolivar Fire Station No. 2, 812 S. Killingsworth Ave.
Find other locations and more information at mdc.mo.gov/cwd under Mandatory CWD Sampling, or in MDC’s 2018 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet.
The MDC encourages hunters to properly dispose of deer carcbades to help limit the spread of the disease. MDC also encourages hunters to Share the Harvest and to follow special guidelines if sharing a harvested deer from a county where CWD has been found. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/cwd under Carcbad Disposal.
CWD is an infectious and deadly illness for white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. There have been no known cases of CWD infecting people, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends having deer tested for CWD if harvested in an area known to have cases of the disease. The CDC also recommends not eating meat from animals that test positive for CWD, which in Missouri are rare with 76 confirmed cases in free-ranging deer since the disease was first found in free-ranging deer in 2012.
MDC and the Conservation Federation of Missouri encourage deer hunters around the state to share their harvests through the state’s Share the Harvest program. Administered by MDC and CFM, Share the Harvest coordinates the efforts of thousands of deer hunters, numerous participating meat processors, many local supporting organizations, and statewide sponsors to help feed hungry Missourians.
Donating deer to STH from a CWD-positive county
Deer donated to Share the Harvest must be tested for CWD if harvested from any of the 12 counties where CWD has been found: Adair, Cedar, Cole, Franklin, Jefferson, Linn, Macon, Oregon, Perry, Polk, St. Clair, and Ste. Genevieve. These deer can only be donated through processors participating in the Share the Harvest CWD Testing Program and located in or near any of the 12 CWD-positive counties. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/cwd
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