Lots Of Questions Answered At CWD Info Meetings

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continues to keep the public informed in the wake of Georgia’s first positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), announced on Jan, 24. Four public information sessions were held by DNR Feb. 4-8 at the Cook County Extension Service Office in Adel, the Lanier County High School Auditorium in Lakeland, the Lowndes County Historic Courthouse in Valdosta and through a virtual meeting on the WRD Facebook page.

Dr. Tina Johannsen, Assistant Chief of the WRD Game Management Section, was the key speaker and began by giving a detailed talk about CWD, addressing some of the frequently asked questions thus far. Public turnout for the meetings was impressive, and DNR did an exceptional job of arranging the sessions, being transparent with their plans and providing answers to the many questions asked.

The main concerns dealt with what hunters and landowners need to know and focus on moving forward. Dr. Johannsen reiterated and stressed the fact that as the 36th state to diagnose CWD in 50 years, Georgia has the advantage of learning from other programs that have been successfully managing the disease.

“The goal is to slow the spread of CWD and keep prevalence low since it may be impossible to eradicate,” said Dr. Johannsen. “We cannot manage this disease effectively without cooperation from hunters and landowners, and there has been outstanding cooperation so far.”

Until next deer season, no one other than hunters and landowners in the one-mile radius whom the DNR has or will contact needs to do anything extra besides reporting sick deer and considering the baiting recommendations listed on the DNR website. The number of deer that will be sampled in the one-mile radius will be insignificant in affecting the population in that area.

“The biggest point for hunters to be aware of is carcass disposal. Deer carcasses need to end up in an area where other deer cannot get to, like landfills, deep bury pits, or incinerators. Taking a deer to a processor is advisable since the processors know what to do with the remains,” Dr. Johannsen.

There will be no charge to the hunter for CWD testing of deer killed in the CWD Management Zone of Lanier or Berrien counties, and DNR encourages all deer killed in these counties to be tested. For deer killed outside Lanier and Berrien counties, a fee of $45 for a CWD test will be required from the hunter. Processors, taxidermists and hunters will be able to submit the heads for testing. (More info on testing sites to come.) Turnaround time for test results may be as long as a couple of months depending on the number of samples submitted, so it is recommended to store the meat in a freezer until results are finalized. DNR is currently working on establishing a website for posting the results of CWD testing.

DNR will continue to update the public throughout the course of action. The dedicated team is working extremely hard implementing the CWD Response Plan and updating frequently asked questions on their website at Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) | Department Of Natural Resources Division. Their efforts to help Georgia sportsmen and women are very much appreciated.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns not found on the DNR website.

Below is a list of some of the questions asked at the Lanier County session.

1. Is it legal to shoot a sick deer out of season? Currently, it is NOT legal to shoot a sick deer out of season. Call the DNR, and they will advise you what to do.
2. Should hunters in the CWD Management Area attempt to keep deer below carrying capacity? Yes, but not just because of CWD. Maintaining healthy herd numbers to prevent overpopulation will reduce the likelihood of other diseases as well.
3. What is the most important consideration for Georgia landowners in the wake of the CWD diagnosis? Participate in testing (especially in Lanier and Berrien Counties), practice good deer management techniques, follow the baiting recommendations laid out on the GA DNR website, and report sick deer.
4. Is there an explanation for this positive case being found far from the state border? Currently, the answer is unknown, but Dr. Johannsen reminded the audience of how far a buck can travel, especially during the rut. (Georgia’s first CWD case was a 2.5-year-old, apparently healthy buck.)
5. Does CWD affect reproduction? There is no significant evidence that it will affect reproduction in a deer not showing symptoms. CWD can be passed to offspring, but not 100% of the time.
6. How many samples in the one-mile radius have been taken so far and how many is the goal? 24 samples have been taken (as of 2/8/25) with a goal of 50-60. There have not been any more positive cases found in the 24 deer sampled.
7. Do the positive cases get tested again to be sure they are truly positive? Yes, in fact, two different tests are used. The first screening test has a high probability to detect the positive cases (few false negatives), while the second test is more likely to detect a negative case (few false positives).
8. What is used to test these animals? The head needs to be removed with the lymph nodes beneath the jaw. These lymph nodes are tested and need to be very fresh, refrigerated, or frozen.
9. Are there any tests for the meat? Currently, no reliable tests for the meat exist. Since CWD has never been diagnosed in humans, meat testing is not a high priority at this time.
10. If you kill a deer in the CWD Management Area, can you take it to a processor in another county outside the Management Area? Yes. The processor will be expected to dispose of the carcass correctly.
11. Will the hunter be responsible for paying for testing if a deer from Lanier or Berrien County is taken to a processor outside the Management Area? There will be no charge for testing the deer as long as it was harvested in Lanier or Berrien County.
12. Can other animals be carriers of the prion? Most animals besides deer will have the prion pass harmlessly out of their bodies (if they have ingested it). Feral hogs have been found to have these prions stay in their bodies longer, but there is no evidence that they will enhance the spread of disease. Also, buzzards have not been found to spread the prion.
13. How contagious is CWD from deer to deer? Research is being done to answer this question in more depth, but it is believed that a deer will likely need repeated exposure to an affected deer rather than one incidental moment of contact. The main mode of transmission is through bodily fluids.