CWD confirmed in a wild deer near Wheaton in western Minnesota

A deer harvested near Wheaton in western Minnesota during the opening weekend of firearms season has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

The adult male deer was harvested within deer permit area 271 along the Minnesota-South Dakota border. To date, no wild deer with CWD had been previously detected in DPA 271, nearby DPAs or near the Minnesota border in eastern South Dakota.

“This discovery in western Minnesota, while unwelcome news, highlights the importance and necessity of our disease surveillance efforts and allowing hunters to test deer harvested anywhere in the state if they would like to,” said Erik Hildebrand, wildlife health supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Following the detection near Wheaton, the Minnesota DNR will implement measures outlined in its CWD response plan, which calls for three consecutive years of testing to help determine the potential prevalence of the disease in DPA 271 and surrounding DPAs. The Minnesota DNR also will work with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to coordinate CWD surveillance and management activities in the vicinity.

Within DPAs where CWD has been detected and confirmed, the Minnesota DNR uses multiple management actions designed to help mitigate disease spread, including carcass movement restrictions, a deer feeding and attractants ban and, sometimes, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits. In 2024, DPA 271 will not be included in the CWD late-season management hunt that takes place Dec. 20-22. The adult male deer in DPA 271 that tested positive for CWD was harvested during the breeding season when deer are known to travel longer distances. Before deciding whether to remove additional deer in a CWD management hunt, the DNR will conduct surveillance in the fall of 2025 to better understand disease prevalence in the DPA.