CWD has been found for the first time ever in Wayne County, PA. The infected animal was a captive red stag in the northeastern part of the county. CWD has not yet been reported in the wild deer population.

In response to the incident, back in April Pennsylvania established its tenth Disease Management Area (DMA). It covers parts of Buckingham, Damascus, Lebanon, Mount Pleasant and Preston townships and all of Manchester Township.

Hunters in the new DMA need to be aware that they cannot bring certain parts of any deer taken to any area outside of the DMA. Those parts are the ones that can spread prions from the CWD and include the brain, spinal column and spleen.

It is unlawful for anyone to feed deer inside a DMA. There are also special rules in effect where hunters harvesting a deer inside the DMA must now double-bag any unused parts of the deer and dispose of them properly at a landfill that is lined. The Pennsylvania Game Commission will also be placing bins in the area where hunters can put their deer heads to get them tested for CWD.

Certified processors inside the DMA will properly dispose of the unused parts when they butcher the deer for a hunter. The reason for all of the special precautions is that the prions (mutated proteins) that cause CWD are almost impossible to get rid of. If carcasses are left in the wild, the prions hang around indefinitely and can eventually infect other cervids (deer, elk, etc.).

CWD was first found in PA in 2012. It was first found in the United States in mule deer in Colorado in 1967. We have been battling those nasty little misfolded proteins that cause it ever since.

The good news is that over time the establishment of DMAs has been working. They help to isolate the CWD and prevent its spread. The rules may seem a bit draconian, but are necessary, so please follow them carefully. We need to keep CWD out of the wild deer population in Wayne County.

Please help prevent the spread of CWD in Wayne County, and enjoy the outdoors!

John S. Van Etten is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.