The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has received results that 11 additional deer have tested positive with chronic wasting disease (CWD). The TWRA received the results from 140 deer that were harvested Dec. 5-16 in West Tennessee.
The 11 deer testing preliminarily positive were from Fayette and Hardeman counties. There were six males and five females, ranging in age from 1 ½ to 3 ½-years-old. All were from within a few miles of the original 13 positive deer. If confirmed, the total would be 24 CWD positive deer from Fayette and Hardeman counties.
“The instance of more positives was fully expected and this doesn’t change our plan of response or recent regulation changes made by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission,” said Chuck Yoest, CWD Coordinator. “We do expect to find even more positives in the CWD Management Zone since we have increased sampling and the disease occurs there. Increase sampling is to determine disease prevalence and spatial distribution.”
CWD was originally confirmed in 13 deer in Fayette and Hardeman counties in December. On Dec. 20 in a special called meeting, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to establish a CWD management zone, which also includes McNairy County as a CWD positive deer was confirmed within 10 miles of that county’s border.
A new archery/muzzleloader/gun deer season has been added to Fayette, Hardeman, and McNairy counties running from Jan. 7-31.
Deer season will be open for all hunters of any age during the originally scheduled statewide Young Sportsman Hunt on Jan. 12-13, in these three counties.
All hunters harvesting deer there and in McNairy County on weekends through the end of the month are required to check the deer at a physical check station. Hunters harvesting a deer on weekdays are encouraged to use the CWD dropoff locations in the CWD management zone and surrounding counties. For a location, visit CWDinTennessee.com.
The TWRA will continue to provide information as it becomes available. For more information on CWD visit CWDinTennessee.com.