New Missouri Deer Regs?

[Ben.MN/WI]

Here are some of the CWD areas with significant declines. It appears that a common thread as been late identification of the disease and little management once detected:

• Southwestern Wisconsin: A major 2025 study by the Wisconsin DNR indicates that CWD is dramatically decreasing white-tailed deer survival in the region, with prevalence is as high as 44% in does and 55% in bucks. Population declines are now very noticeable.
• Southeastern Wyoming: Mule deer populations are now showing an annual population decline of 21% where prevalence exceeds 20%.
• Wind River Reservation: This mule deer herd is considered to be at risk of local extinction, with an estimated 66.3% prevalence rate in 2024–2025. Harvest levels in this area have dropped by 90% since 2020
• Colorado: The White River herd has reached 25% buck prevalence in 2025. The Bear's Ear herd has reached 20.8%. Both areas have seen over 50% reduction in populations.
• Arkansas:
  Four year average annual declines in the following testing areas (2021,22,23,24): Erbie: 13%; Gene Rush: 13%; Tyler Bend: 15%
• Tennessee: Fayette & Hardeman counties have seen population declines of 40%.
  

I haven't heard of a population decline in SW Wisconsin, where did you find that information? I did read their reports the referenced a much lower survival rate for CWD positive deer in their trap and collar study though, but I haven't found data on a population decrease because of that.

I think it is very likely that the population will drop there eventually, but I haven't heard of that yet.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I haven't heard of a population decline in SW Wisconsin, where did you find that information? I did read their reports the referenced a much lower survival rate for CWD positive deer in their trap and collar study though, but I haven't found data on a population decrease because of that.

I think it is very likely that the population will drop there eventually, but I haven't heard of that yet.

Yeah from real world info I haven’t heard anything negative in the supposed ground zero of cwd there

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Yeah from real world info I haven’t heard anything negative in the supposed ground zero of cwd there

Yes, I know a lot of people who hunt SW Wisconsin and I'm not aware of any population reductions there. That's not to say it hasn't happened in some areas, but if it was widespread, it seems likely that I would have heard about it living just across the border in Minnesota.

 

[swat1018]

Yes, I know a lot of people who hunt SW Wisconsin and I'm not aware of any population reductions there. That's not to say it hasn't happened in some areas, but if it was widespread, it seems likely that I would have heard about it living just across the border in Minnesota.

There is more misinformation about CWD than information....

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

There is more misinformation about CWD than information....

I believe the guys who say cwd caused the drop in deer numbers in nw Arkansas when the rates increased above 50%, but I haven’t heard of issues in Wisconsin where the rates are lower.

 

[Brian662]

I believe the guys who say cwd caused the drop in deer numbers in nw Arkansas when the rates increased above 50%, but I haven’t heard of issues in Wisconsin where the rates are lower.

100% there are less mature bucks in the counties where cwd has been the most prevalent.
I can't speak to deer populations in general but I suspect if the buck rates are higher, the general deer numbers are likely to follow.

My county went from 5% positive rate in 2021 to over 15% this year.

 

[Bill]

100% there are less mature bucks in the counties where cwd has been the most prevalent.
I can't speak to deer populations in general but I suspect if the buck rates are higher, the general deer numbers are likely to follow.

My county went from 5% positive rate in 2021 to over 15% this year.

I hate to be the constant cynic but can anyone quantify these number fully? When I say You (I don’t mean you personally, maybe I mean the state or wherever that # came from) but you can’t just say the positive rate went from 5% to 15% unless you also say the exact testing area remained the same down to the acre. Say how many deer were tested in each year. How many deer were harvested in those years. “And” how many the state euthanized (by any means) and or sterilized each of those years. Who did the testing. How were they compensated. And did anyone stand to gain or loose from positive results? And how much federal $ did the state receive to continue the CWD effort.

I was always taught figures don’t lie but figurers do.

Funny how some people question everything the administration in DC tells them but believes the game dept getting funds from the DC administration.

 

[Bill]

Oh and when I say euthanized by the state. They should be honest and not call deer killed with extra CWD tags hunter harvest. They should be listed as unpaid state snipers.

 

[SwampCat]

I hate to be the constant cynic but can anyone quantify these number fully? When I say You (I don’t mean you personally, maybe I mean the state or wherever that # came from) but you can’t just say the positive rate went from 5% to 15% unless you also say the exact testing area remained the same down to the acre. Say how many deer were tested in each year. How many deer were harvested in those years. “And” how many the state euthanized (by any means) and or sterilized each of those years. Who did the testing. How were they compensated. And did anyone stand to gain or loose from positive results? And how much federal $ did the state receive to continue the CWD effort.

I was always taught figures don’t lie but figurers do.

Funny how some people question everything the administration in DC tells them but believes the game dept getting funds from the DC administration.

There was a thread on here about the AR cwd study not long ago - a youtube video. It is worth a watch

 

[Brian662]

I hate to be the constant cynic but can anyone quantify these number fully? When I say You (I don’t mean you personally, maybe I mean the state or wherever that # came from) but you can’t just say the positive rate went from 5% to 15% unless you also say the exact testing area remained the same down to the acre. Say how many deer were tested in each year. How many deer were harvested in those years. “And” how many the state euthanized (by any means) and or sterilized each of those years. Who did the testing. How were they compensated. And did anyone stand to gain or loose from positive results? And how much federal $ did the state receive to continue the CWD effort.

I was always taught figures don’t lie but figurers do.

Funny how some people question everything the administration in DC tells them but believes the game dept getting funds from the DC administration.

There's a lot here, so I'll just say that nothing I know, have seen, or the people I've talked to will change your mind.

This has nothing to do with DC, some people know that.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I hate to be the constant cynic but can anyone quantify these number fully? When I say You (I don’t mean you personally, maybe I mean the state or wherever that # came from) but you can’t just say the positive rate went from 5% to 15% unless you also say the exact testing area remained the same down to the acre. Say how many deer were tested in each year. How many deer were harvested in those years. “And” how many the state euthanized (by any means) and or sterilized each of those years. Who did the testing. How were they compensated. And did anyone stand to gain or loose from positive results? And how much federal $ did the state receive to continue the CWD effort.

I was always taught figures don’t lie but figurers do.

Funny how some people question everything the administration in DC tells them but believes the game dept getting funds from the DC administration.

In Minnesota all deer shot on opening weekend of gun season in cwd zones are required to be tested. It is a reasonable way to get a rough % of positive cwd cases over time. It is possible the deer harvested opening weekend aren’t a perfect representation of the population, but it seems likely that’s a solid way to track trends over time.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

The cwd positive cases in Minnesota have been increasing consistently across the cwd units. They have tested thousands of hunter harvested deer, so It isn’t a small study.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

At least in the areas of Missouri that I have been keeping an eye on, they typically present the data as a percentage of those tested within the county or CWD management area. Each of the deer that we have had tested, they ask for an approximate location on the map. So the percentage data are presented by county, but I'm sure it can also be within county as well but that wouldn't be as helpful.

 

[Bill]

There's a lot here, so I'll just say that nothing I know, have seen, or the people I've talked to will change your mind.

This has nothing to do with DC, some people know that.

MDC received $2 million from the feds. I know that.

 

[Bill]

I'll just say that nothing I know, have seen, or the people I've talked to will change your mind.

I believe you are correct.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

One thing I think about quite often with CWD and deer mortality, is why aren't we hearing more reports of people finding numerous dead deer. I'm not expecting it to be like EHD where they are all dying around the same time and location, but you can typically find most carcasses from the last two or three years pretty easily in the late winter or early spring. In these really high infection areas, are people finding that many more than normal predation?

 

[Brian662]

One thing I think about quite often with CWD and deer mortality, is why aren't we hearing more reports of people finding numerous dead deer. I'm not expecting it to be like EHD where they are all dying around the same time and location, but you can typically find most carcasses from the last two or three years pretty easily in the late winter or early spring. In these really high infection areas, are people finding that many more than normal predation?

I can't speak for others but we've seen a few does this year on camera that were withered away to skin and bones in summer time, incredibly unusual (as in haven't seen it before) for us. My neighbor found a dead doe by his driveway in mid September, emaciated, no visible wounds.
Of course none of that means anything, just anecdotal to the disease at large. We have personally decided to reassess the situation three years from now and make a decision on the herd and our future in the area.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

100% there are less mature bucks in the counties where cwd has been the most prevalent.
I can't speak to deer populations in general but I suspect if the buck rates are higher, the general deer numbers are likely to follow.

My county went from 5% positive rate in 2021 to over 15% this year.

One thing I think about quite often with CWD and deer mortality, is why aren't we hearing more reports of people finding numerous dead deer. I'm not expecting it to be like EHD where they are all dying around the same time and location, but you can typically find most carcasses from the last two or three years pretty easily in the late winter or early spring. In these really high infection areas, are people finding that many more than normal predation?

wisconsins cwd mortality study showed that cwd positive deer had a much lower annual survival, but some that was due to increased hunter harvest. It appears the cwd positive deer travel more and are less wary, causing them to get shot more frequently.

I’m not sure how noticeable the cwd deer deaths would be on the landscape, but if cwd was killing 5 dpsm annually by itself, that would be less than 1 deer per 100 acres. The carcasses should be more randomly distributed than ehd, which stacks them up by water at much higher rates.

 

[Bill]

One thing I think about quite often with CWD and deer mortality, is why aren't we hearing more reports of people finding numerous dead deer. I'm not expecting it to be like EHD where they are all dying around the same time and location, but you can typically find most carcasses from the last two or three years pretty easily in the late winter or early spring. In these really high infection areas, are people finding that many more than normal predation?

Agreed for sure. Haven’t found many more dead ones than normal in 20 years until the EHD breakout. But are you sure your EHD breakout was natural? Everyone in my neighborhood said no to the snippers. The next year 70 to 80 % of our deer were dead from EHD.

Probably no correlation between the two things. Like I said I’m just a cynic.

Funny when I called my contact at MDC to express my concern about the EHD outbreak he said the best way to combat it was to lay off the does. The next week I got a message about my free 10 deer tags. Hmm.

 

[Brian662]

wisconsins cwd mortality study showed that cwd positive deer had a much lower annual survival, but some that was due to increased hunter harvest. It appears the cwd positive deer travel more and are less wary, causing them to get shot more frequently.

I’m not sure how noticeable the cwd deer deaths would be on the landscape, but if cwd was killing 5 dpsm annually by itself, that would be less than 1 deer per 100 acres. The carcasses should be more randomly distributed than ehd, which stacks them up by water at much higher rates.

WI. My land in MN isn't in a CWD zone...yet. Only a matter of time I'm sure.