CWD found in wild deer in Wood County

TOWN OF RUDOLPH (Wood County), Wis. (WFHR) – A wild deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Wood County, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said Monday.

The DNR said it’s the second wild deer to test positive for CWD in Wood County this year.

Because of the positive test, a three-year baiting and feeding ban is renewed for Wood County. In addition, since the deer was found within 10 miles of Portage County, Portage County would also normally have to enact a similar ban. However, Portage County is already under a 3-year ban for CWD-positive cases.

The DNR said the infected deer was a 3-year-old doe, which was reported by DNR staff in Wood County.

Baiting and feeding bans are used to mitigate the spread of CWD among deer herds. Deer gather around shared food sources, making transmission more likely. The disease is spread through bodily fluids in deer.

CWD affects the central nervous system of deer, moose, elk, caribou and reindeer. The disease is fatal. The DNR began monitoring for CWD in 1999 and detected the first CWD-positive deer in 2002.

55 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties are currently under a baiting and feeding ban, with far northwestern Wisconsin and east-central Wisconsin currently the only areas where it is allowed.

You can learn more about baiting and feeding deer on the DNR’s website. You can learn more about CWD on the DNR’s website.