Chronic waste disease sampling required in some areas – Alexandria Echo Press

By the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds deer hunters in southwest Minnesota that sampling for chronic wasting disease will be required the opening weekend of firearms deer season, Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8.

Mandatory sampling is new in southwest Minnesota and requires hunters to have all deer they take aged one year or older sampled for CWD.

“We want to let hunters know about our change in CWD surveillance strategy this fall,” said Patrick Hagen, DNR wildlife disease response coordinator. “This will be a game-changer for a lot of hunters in the Southwest.”

In response to changing CWD management needs, the Minnesota DNR has adopted a four-year rotating statewide monitoring plan. To carry out this plan, the state was divided into four supervisory blocks, each representing about a quarter of the state. Each year, hunters on a block will be required to have all deer they harvest during open firearms weekend that are a year or older tested for CWD.

In the past, the Minnesota DNR has conducted CWD sampling near areas where the disease was known and successfully monitored the spread of CWD in these at-risk areas. However, nearly two-thirds of the state has not had targeted surveillance efforts in more than 20 years.

“Rotational sampling will give us a more complete picture of where CWD exists in Minnesota,” Hagen said. “Recent disease detections in areas of the state outside of current CWD management areas have led to the need for a broader approach to sampling.”

Mandatory sampling begins in southwest Minnesota in 2026, with the northwest in 2027, the northeast in 2028 and the southeast in 2029.

Hunters in the current watch block will have several ways to test deer on opening weekend, including visiting a staffed or self-service sampling station, getting a free sampling kit in the mail before opening weekend, or visiting one of the taxidermists or deer processors participating in the CWD Partner Sampling Program. Detailed information on CWD sampling is available on the Minnesota DNR’s CWD webpage ( mndnr.gov/cwd ).

It is important to note that hunters using a mailing kit will need to request a shipping label once they harvest a deer. Requesting a new shipping label from the DNR decreases the risk of sample loss due to expired labels. More information about mailing kits is available on the Minnesota DNR website ( mndnr.gov/cwd/cwd-kits.html ).

Even when CWD sampling is not required, hunters across the state have free and convenient ways to have their deer tested ( mndnr.gov/cwd/cwd-testing.html ), such as mail-in kits, the Partner Sampling Program, and scheduling appointments at Minnesota DNR wildlife offices.

Hunters, regardless of deer season, can participate in voluntary sampling using all of these sampling methods. In addition to staffed and self-service stations, mail-in kits and the Partner Sampling Program can be used to meet mandatory sampling requirements on November 7-8 in the monitoring block. Archery deer season is open through December 31, young deer and early antlerless seasons only October 15-18, and muzzleloader hunting season runs November 28 through December. 13.

Hunters in Deer License Area 236, north of Stillwater, have the additional option of using one of the many self-serve stations available in the area for CWD sampling. The Minnesota DNR is collecting additional samples beginning in early October during all open deer seasons in DPA 236, following the recent discovery of a CWD-positive wild deer near Stillwater. Self-service sampling locations are available on the Minnesota DNR’s CWD webpage ( mndnr.gov/cwd ).

After submitting a CWD sample, hunters can check their CWD test results online (mndnr.gov/cwdcheck).

Restrictions on the movement of deer carcasses harvested within a CWD management area have been eliminated and replaced with a carcass disposal rule. This rule change allows hunters to move carcasses in or out of these areas provided they must dispose of them with their waste hauler, at a local landfill, or with a meat processor. Alternatively, if hunters harvest a deer on private property, the carcass may be disposed of on site with permission of the landowner.

“The carcass disposal rule will give hunters more flexibility in handling and transporting their deer, while still promoting safe disposal methods,” Hagen said.

In the past, hunters had to quarter their deer to remove meat from the area or wait for an undetected test result to remove whole deer from the area. The requirement to divide deer remains in effect for deer taken outside of Minnesota that hunters wish to import into the state. Details are available on the Minnesota DNR website ( mndnr.gov/deerimports ).

The Minnesota DNR is asking deer hunters to purchase their deer hunting licenses early this year. The Minnesota DNR launched a new electronic licensing system in June. The new system works well, but with any technology, users may find that their first transaction takes a little longer as they get acclimated. Additionally, some individuals who had multiple registrations in the old system will need customer assistance from the DNR Licensing Center to transfer their history and establish their account in the new system. For these reasons, hunters are encouraged to allow sufficient time to purchase their license.

There are three ways to purchase a license (mobile app, online, or in person from a licensing agent) and three ways to carry it (on paper, PDF, or stored in the app). Customers can access the system on the Minnesota DNR website ( mndnr.gov/buyalicense ) or by searching for “Minnesota DNR Licensing” in the Apple or Google app stores.

If purchasing a license in person, hunters should also make sure the place they want to purchase it is selling licenses this year. The Minnesota DNR has an online map of 2026 licensing agents (mndnr.gov/licenses/agents-map.html).

In addition to possessing valid licenses, all hunters should familiarize themselves with current deer hunting regulations, including regulations related to validating and recording a harvest which can be done simultaneously on the app, or by validating a printed permit and later registering online or in person with a DNR licensing agent. Current deer hunting regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR deer hunting webpage (mndnr.gov/hunting/deer).