New CWD Detection in a Wild Deer Harvested in Sheboygan County During the 2019 Archery Deer Season

Contact(s): Jeff Pritzl, Wildlife District Supervisor, 920-662-5127, Jeffrey.Pritzl@wisconsin.gov
Sean Strom, Acting Wildlife Health Section Chief, 608-220-4769, Sean.Strom@wisconsin.gov
December 13, 2019 at 11:37:08 am

PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Plymouth township in Sheboygan County. The CWD-positive deer was an adult doe harvested during the 2019 archery deer season and was tested as a part of the DNR’s disease surveillance efforts. It is the first wild deer that tested positive for CWD in Sheboygan County, and its location is also within ten miles of adjacent Fond du Lac County.

State law requires that the DNR enact a ban on baiting and feeding of deer in counties or portions of counties within a 10-mile radius of a wild or farm-raised deer that tests positive for CWD or tuberculosis. Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties are already identified as counties affected by CWD and already have baiting and feeding bans in place. As required by law, this new CWD-positive detection will renew a three-year baiting and feeding ban in Sheboygan County and a two-year ban in Fond du Lac County.

“We are committed to working closely with local communities, including the citizen-based County Deer Advisory Councils as we explore future management options for this disease in Sheboygan and the surrounding counties,” said Jeff Pritzl, DNR Northeast District wildlife supervisor.

In response to the detection of this CWD-positive wild deer, the DNR will:

• Work with local County Deer Advisory Council members from the counties impacted by this detection and schedule meetings in January to discuss response actions, including the issuance of CWD surveillance permits.
• Determine surveillance activities to assess disease distribution and prevalence will also include:
  • Encouraging reporting of sick deer
  • Sampling vehicle-killed adult deer when feasible
  • Sampling adult deer harvested under agricultural damage permits
  • Sampling adult deer harvested under urban deer hunts in the area
• Continue to provide CWD sampling locations during the remainder of the 2019 deer hunting season.
• Encourage hunters to utilize deer carcass waste disposal options during the remainder of this deer season.
• Encourage hunters to follow recommendations to help prevent the spread of CWD.

CWD sampling options are available for Sheboygan County in the following locations:

• Weyker Outdoors, LLC, W4650 Vorpahl Rd., Random Lake
• DNR Plymouth Service Center, 1155 Pilgrim Rd., Plymouth.

Sheboygan County also has deer carcass waste disposal options at the following locations:

• Dumpster, DNR Plymouth Service Center, 1155 Pilgrim Rd., Plymouth
• Dumpster, DNR Field Station, W8180 Hulls Crossing Dr., Glenbeulah
  • Both dumpsters available 24/7 through Jan. 6, 2020.

For more information regarding baiting and feeding regulations and CWD in Wisconsin and for information on how to have deer tested during the 2019-20 hunting seasons, visit the DNR’s baiting and feeding and CWD sampling webpages respectively