New CWD Rules Regulate Disposal Of Deer, New No Feeding Deer Areas

If you are thinking about feeding deer or processing your own deer meat, there are changes happening in Pennsylvania that may impact you.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is developing new “no deer feeding” boundaries and an optional kit for hunters to have their deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), and the regulations have changed on how to dispose of a deer.

The agency approved several new regulations for managing the fatal neurological disease in deer during its April 11 board meeting. However, more changes are anticipated going forward.

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“And that’s going to be statewide, no matter where you hunt, no matter where you’re bringing your deer. You can bring your deer home, but if you move it from the harvest location, those high-risk parts have to go in the trash. Instead of just being a Disease Management Area regulation, that is now a statewide regulation applying to all hunters everywhere in the state,” Korman said.

The high-risk parts include head and the spine. If the deer is not field dressed at the harvest area, the spleen also needs to be placed in the trash as it also can spread CWD to other deer.

The goal is to prevent the disease from being introduced to a new part of the state.