MDC holding public meeting in Houston to discuss CWD

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) has spread to white-tailed deer within Texas County. Landowners, hunters, and conservation partners are invited to learn more about the disease and MDC plans for managing the disease during a public meeting to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, at the Texas County Fairgrounds in Houston.

Topics of discussion will include an explanation of what CWD is, how to help slow the spread of the disease, and what MDC is doing to manage the disease. Hunters, landowners and conservation partners are encouraged to attend the meeting.

MDC identified one case of CWD in Texas County this hunting season, with some tests still pending. This was the first known case for the county. MDC has worked with hunters, landowners and conservation partners throughout the state to identify where CWD exists, and is implementing regulations and management practices in order to slow the spread of the deadly disease.

CWD is a contagious, fatal brain disease that affects white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family. It is caused by a misfolded protein and can be spread by direct contact between deer or when deer encounter the misfolded proteins in the environment after they have been shed by an infected deer.

The heavier the deer population, the more potential there is for a healthy deer to come into contact with a diseased deer or the shed misfolded proteins. A higher prevalence of CWD in the area will also increase the likelihood that an individual deer will come into contact with a diseased deer. MDC management practices look different across the state, depending on the deer population, the prevalence of the disease, and landowner participation.

Landowners within about a two mile radius of where the diseased deer was found in Texas County received a letter from MDC in late December, asking for their participation in CWD targeted removal efforts planned for January 16 through March 15, 2025. The goal of targeted removal is to reduce the population of deer in the core area where the diseased deer was found. This will minimize the likelihood of healthy deer contracting the disease through contact with a healthy deer or the shed misfolded proteins.

MDC has a targeted removal goal of 110 deer from the area (about 4.5 deer per square mile, which is less than the number of deer removed from this area during deer hunting season). Once the goal is met, targeted removals will cease for the year. The necessity of future management efforts will be dependent on whether there is another CWD positive test.

All deer removed from the area will be tested for CWD. Healthy deer will be processed. The venison will be provided to landowners at no cost to them or will be donated to the Share the Harvest program.

Landowners will be allowed to remove the deer or may designate someone to do so in their stead. They may also opt for trained MDC staff to conduct targeted removal, or they can decline participation.

Tuesday’s public meeting will provide more information about the targeted removal efforts. You can also learn more about CWD online at https://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/chronic-wasting-disease.