MDC Reports 162 New Cases of CWD For 2023 Surveillance Year

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports it sampled and tested more than 37 thousand deer for chronic wasting disease during the 2023 CWD surveillance year between July 2023 and April 2024. 

Of the more than 37 thousand deer sampled, 162 tested positive for CWD.

CWD is a 100% fatal disease in white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family. 

CWD brings significant deer population declines in other states and threatens Missouri’s deer population, hunting culture, and economy.

Those 162 deer bring the total number of CWD cases found in the state to 572 since MDC first confirmed cases in wild deer in early 2012. 

Including recent sampling efforts, more than 280 thousand tissue samples from wild deer have been collected for CWD testing in Missouri since MDC began CWD surveillance in 2002.

Nearly 20,700 of the 37,000-plus deer tested this past CWD surveillance year were sampled as part of MDC mandatory CWD sampling efforts in select counties during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season, November 11 and 12. 

Most of the remaining samples resulted from MDC’s voluntary sampling efforts conducted throughout the deer season in partnership with taxidermists and meat processors and through freezer head-drop locations throughout the state.

In our listening area, Grundy County reported a case of CWD for the first time.

Other counties that reported CWD cases include:

-Adair (3)

-Barry (1)

-Barton (15)

-Carroll (2)

-Chariton (4)

-Clark (1)

-Crawford (3)

-Dallas (4)

-Franklin (23)

-Jasper (1)

-Jefferson (15)

-Linn (9)

-Macon (7)

-Maries (1)

-Oregon (4)

-Osage (3)

-Perry (3)

-Polk (2)

-Pulaski (1)

-Putnam (3)

-Randolph (4)

-Scotland (3)

-Ste. Genevieve (31)

-Stone (7)

-Sullivan (2)

-Taney (9)

Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.