A white-tailed deer recently harvested by a hunter in Colbert County in northwest Alabama has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The detection of CWD in Colbert County has resulted in an expansion of the state’s CWD Management Zone (CMZ) to include all of Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin counties in the CMZ.
A portion of Franklin County has been included in the High-Risk Zone (HRZ) within the CMZ. The HRZ portion of Franklin County extends north of State Highway 24 from the Alabama/Mississippi state line east to U.S. Highway 43 (see attached map). The remainder of Franklin County south of State Highway 24 and east of U.S. Highway 43 has been designated as a Buffer Zone within the CMZ.
“I would like to thank our hunters for submitting their harvest samples for testing,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). “They are our most important partners in the management of this disease in Alabama.”
Preliminary tests performed at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) discovered the non-negative case in Colbert County. The non-negative result was then confirmed positive by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. This is the first case of CWD detected in Colbert County and brings the total number of CWD positive detections to nine statewide.
CWD is a contagious neurological disease of white-tailed deer and other deer species. It belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The disease is caused by a mutated protein called a prion. It is always fatal for deer. The first case of CWD in Alabama’s deer herd was detected in Lauderdale County in January 2022.
During the remainder of deer gun season on privately owned or leased land within the CMZ, the bag limit for unantlered deer has been increased to two per day.
Hunters are required to submit heads for CWD testing from all deer harvested within the CMZ at drop-off freezer locations or at scheduled ADCNR mobile sampling stations during the next mandatory sampling weekend on January 11-12, 2025. The mandatory sampling weekend applies to all of Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties. Hunters are reminded that carcasses and other deer parts harvested within the HRZ must remain in the HRZ. Carcasses or other deer parts cannot be moved outside the CMZ.
Additionally, supplemental wildlife feeding and baiting privileges are not allowed within the CMZ. The supplemental feeding rule does not apply to bird feeders within 100 feet of a building or occupied dwelling or feed inside an active feral hog trap. Supplemental feeding and baiting privileges are allowed outside of the CMZ.
For more information about CWD in Alabama, please visit www.outdooralabama.com/cwd-info.
ADCNR promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Learn more at www.outdooralabama.com.
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