Northwoods Adventure: MN DNR on the Hunt for CWD Samples Following Deer Opener

This past weekend, plenty of deer hunters in Minnesota had the chance to bag a buck for this year’s firearm opening weekend.

But an additional rule was added for hunters across the state. In select surveillance zones, hunters had to turn in the head of their deer to test for chronic wasting disease, or CWD, at sampling stations set up by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The disease, which is always fatal in cervids, was first detected in Minnesota in 2002. There have been other cases since then, but a constant rise in numbers has occurred since 2016. Although the disease is found primarily in the southeast part of the state, recent results have detected CWD up north.

By Monday afternoon, sampling stations in the Bemidji area had collected almost 1,000 samples. Across the state, roughly 6,000 samples were collected. However, test results may not be known for a while, as it takes 7 to 14 business days to receive said results.

Submitting deer heads for samples in each surveillance zone was only mandatory during the opening weekend for firearm season, which was November 5-6. However, the DNR still requests hunters to submit samples to better understand the possibility of CWD in Minnesota. This can be done by making an appointment at a local wildlife office or by visiting the Minnesota DNR’s website.