Mandatory CWD testing weekends coming up in Lauderdale, Colbert Counties

ALABAMA (WHNT) — With deer hunting season starting on Nov. 23 state officials are reminding hunters of mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing on several upcoming weekends.

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is reminding hunters in Colbert County and Lauderdale County about mandatory testing for CWD in both the high-risk zone and buffer zone in the state CWD Management Zone.

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The department said under state regulations all deer harvested in the CWD management zone, which is made up of Lauderdale and Colbert counties, on sampling weekends are required to be turned over for testing. Mandatory sampling weekends for the high-risk zone are Nov. 23-24 and Dec. 7-8 while weekends for the buffer zone are Nov. 23-24 and January 11-12.

You can find a map of the CWD Management Zone below:

CWD is a contagious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer and other deer species. The wasting disease causes drastic weight loss along with a variety of behavior changes such as stumbling, lack of coordination and a lack of fear of people. CWD is always fatal for white-tailed deer.

The first case of the disease in Alabama was found in Lauderdale County in January of 2022.

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports no strong evidence that CWD can infect humans but recommends not eating meat from a dear that appears sick and to never eat the brain, eyeballs, spinal cord, spleen, or lymph nodes from a CWD-susceptible species.

ADCNR said all deer harvested by hunters on public land in the management zone are required to be sampled throughout the hunting season, not just on mandatory weekends. Those public lands include the Freedom Hills WMA, Lauderdale WMA, Seven-Mile Island WMA, Cherokee Physically Disabled Hunting Area, and Riverton Community Hunting Area.

State officials said outside of the mandatory weekends, hunters are also encouraged to voluntarily drop off samples for testing at self-service freezers located in the management zone.