Missouri deer hunters required to test for chronic wasting disease in select counties

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is again asking deer hunters to have their deer sampled for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Hunters play a critical role in helping MDC monitor the disease and health of Missouri’s deer herd.

CWD is a contagious, deadly brain disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. It has been found in Missouri and MDC is working with hunters and others to limit the impact of the disease on Missouri’s deer herd. Testing harvested deer for CWD is a vital effort to help identify where cases of the disease are in the state and limit its spread. Learn more about CWD at mdc.mo.gov/cwd and look under the Mandatory CWD sampling tab.

Counties in the Southeast region of Missouri where mandatory CWD sampling will be required this year for all hunters who harvest deer on Nov. 14 or 15 are Iron, Reynolds, and Wayne. Mandatory sampling locations for these counties are:

– ZX Gas Station, 205 Highway 21, in Pilot Knob
– Iron County C-4 School, 35 Highway 49, in Viburnum
– Ellington MDC Office, 29229 County Rd. 618, in Ellington
– Bunker Fire Department, 132 St. Highway 72, in Bunker
– Johnson Shut Ins, 148 Taum Sauk Trail, in Lesterville
– MDC Piedmont Office, 410 Piedmont Ave., in Piedmont
– Greenville City Park, Maple St., in Greenville
– Redman Creek Recreational Area Shelter #3 /Bill Emerson Visitors Center, 19721 Wayne Rte. D., in Wappapello

MDC is also offering voluntary CWD sampling opportunities for hunters who harvest deer in any county at any time during any of Missouri’s deer hunting seasons. These additional sampling opportunities include at MDC offices, cooperating taxidermists and meat processors, and self-service freezers.

Voluntary sampling locations in the Southeast Region of Missouri include:

– Duck Creek Office, 365 MO-51, in Puxico (Freezer)
– Elderland Meats LLC, MO-51, in Zalma
– Cane Creek Taxidermy, 7599 Hwy. C, in Poplar Bluff
– Ole Bandit LLC, 558 County Rd. 507 Wappapello, MO
– MDC Southeast Regional Office, 2302 County Park Dr., in Cape Girardeau (Freezer)
– Holman’s Meats,2470 MO-C, in Jackson
– Biester’s Meats, 2004 W Jackson Blvd, in Jackson
– County Line Taxidermy LLC, 29 Carter 370, in Ellsinore
– Alpha Omega Taxidermy, RR 1 Box 3466 in Ava

Hunters using self-service freezers will need to remove the deer’s head in advance so it can be left in the freezer. Hunters should cut off the head (and antlers for bucks) while leaving about six inches of neck attached before coming to the freezer head drop-off location.

Hunters will need to record their name and contact information, Telecheck ID number, and location where the deer was harvested on material provided.

Materials will be available at the freezer sites such as trash bags, zip ties, and data sheets that hunters can use in labeling their deer heads. MDC staff will collect the deer heads for CWD testing throughout the season.

For an interactive map of all voluntary CWD sampling sites throughout the state, visit mdc.mo.gov/cwd  and look under Voluntary CWD Sampling.

Archery deer hunting runs through Nov. 13 and opens again Nov. 25 through Jan. 15, 2027.

Firearms deer hunting opened with the early antlerless portion Oct. 9-11 followed by several other firearms portions through Jan. 5, 2027. For more information on deer hunting in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer.