Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding deer hunters about the locations where they can have their deer tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) at no cost. CWD is a fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of deer and elk, first detected in Boone County in 2002. Since then, 173,486 wild deer have been sampled across Illinois, with 2,188 testing positive for CWD. The disease remains confined to a 21-county area in northern Illinois.

Wildlife biologists monitor CWD through tests on hunter-harvested deer. While not known to be transmissible to humans, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization advise against consuming venison from CWD-positive animals.

Hunters are encouraged to visit participating vendors such as taxidermists and meat processors or use self-serve drop-off sites for testing. Locations can be found online, via the Hunt Illinois app, or through IDNR's interactive map.

In counties affected by CWD, hunters are strongly urged to test their deer. Those planning to mount their deer can work with cooperating taxidermists who will collect samples without damaging the skull. Alternatively, hunters can take caped-out heads to IDNR sample drop-off sites.

During the firearm seasons on November 22-24 and December 5-8, hunters in CWD counties can get voluntary samples taken by biologists at mandatory check stations. Non-CWD county hunters may use drop-off barrels or sampling vendors for testing.

Results of CWD tests will be available online within two to four weeks. Priority is given to samples from counties with known cases. If a deer tests positive for CWD, an IDNR wildlife biologist will contact the hunter.

Between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, IDNR's Wildlife Disease Program identified 459 CWD-positive deer across several counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake LaSalle Lee Livingston McHenry Ogle Stephenson Will Winnebago.

For more information on CWD management in Illinois visit online resources provided by IDNR.