The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission has made an amendment to a proclamation that was established in May concerning the addition of states from which deer carcasses are prohibited for importation unless bones were removed to aid in the prevention of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Tennessee.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officials had earlier recommended that the states of Virginia and Missouri, along with the entire state of Illinois, be added to the list of states to be included in the prohibition. The prohibitions came as a response to the discovery of CWD in white-tailed deer in these states.
After internal discussion on the enforceability of these regulations and discussions with the affected states, the TWRA recommended that the prohibition zones in four states (Illinois, Missouri, Virginia and West Virginia) be reduced to those areas where CWD is known to occur or where the affected state has established containment zones. The TWRA proposed the change in an effort to lessen the burden on state sportsmen while still providing adequate protection of Tennessee’s deer population from CWD.
The Virginia counties that are affected are Frederick and Shenandoah. Hampshire County in West Virginia and Linn County in Missouri are the only affected counties in those respective states. In Illinois, the area continues to be that north of Interstate 80.
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Chronic wasting disease is a serious neurologic disease of white-tailed deer and other ungulates such as elk. Tennessee has adopted a number of measures, both for wildlife and farm animals, to reduce the likelihood that CWD might be introduced into the state.