Central Dunn County Landowners Eligible For CWD Permits

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Landowners on select parcels of private land in central Dunn County are eligible for free chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance permits. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asks landowners within the surveillance area to apply for a permit to help the DNR better understand the extent of CWD in the area.

These permits are property-specific and available on select private land within the CWD surveillance area. Individuals who receive a permit must use the weapon choice listed on the permit. The permits are valid for any adult deer, either antlered or antlerless, and all deer harvested must be tested for CWD.

To obtain a CWD surveillance permit, contact DNR Wildlife Biologist Terry Shaurette at 608-386-2268. Please have your Go Wild customer ID ready when you call.

How To Have Your Adult Deer Tested For CWD

CWD testing is free of charge. Individuals who harvest an adult deer using a CWD surveillance authorization are responsible for having their deer tested for CWD. In addition to self-service kiosks, individuals can contact local DNR staff to schedule an appointment for sampling.

CWD results are uploaded to the DNR website as soon as they become available. To view CWD results for a harvested deer, enter your customer ID or CWD sample barcode number. Results are also sent via email or mail.

CWD In Wisconsin

In 2019, a CWD-positive wild deer was discovered in Red Cedar Township, Dunn County. CWD surveillance permits are being provided to those within the surveillance area to aid the DNR's CWD research in the region.

CWD is a fatal, infectious nervous system disease of deer, moose, elk and reindeer/caribou. It belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases. CWD occurs only in members of the Cervidae or deer family: both wild and farm-raised deer. The DNR began monitoring the state's wild white-tailed deer population for CWD in 1999 and found the first positives in 2002.

For more information on CWD, visit the DNR's website.