The presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild deer has been confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), marking the first such case in Chippewa County. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources release, a 1-year-old buck, hunted and harvested by a local hunter, tested positive for the disease. The incident occurred within 10 miles of the borders of Barron and Dunn counties.
As a result of the chronic wasting disease detection, Chippewa County will have to immediately renew a three-year ban on baiting and feeding of deer. This measure aims to prevent to further spread chronic wasting disease by discouraging unnatural congregation at shared feeding sites. Barron County, already under a two-year ban, will also see a renewal of this restriction, while Dunn County's pre-existing three-year ban remains unaffected by this latest discovery.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Chippewa County Deer Advisory Council, is slated to host an information session for the public regarding the chronic wasting disease situation. The meeting, scheduled for February 6, at 6:30 p.m., promises to shed light on the disease and detail current testing endeavors within the county.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal illness affecting deer and similar animals. It is part of a group of diseases called prion diseases. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began monitoring wild white-tailed deer for this disease in 1999 and found its first cases in 2002. State law requires a three-year ban on baiting and feeding in counties with confirmed cases. Nearby counties within 10 miles of a detection face a two-year ban. If more cases are found during an existing ban, it will be extended by two or three years.
Feeding or baiting deer can foster environments where chronic wasting disease is easily transmitted through contact or indirectly by infected deer leaving behind infectious prions in their waste. Anyone seeking more details on regulations around deer baiting and feeding can visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’s Baiting and Feeding webpage. Likewise, more general information about chronic wasting disease is accessible on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’s chronic wasting disease webpage.
