Ohio DNR tightens deer testing rules as Chronic Wasting Disease spreads
Hunters in nine western counties must submit carcasses for prion analysis starting next month.
By Anthony Lawson ·
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will require hunters to submit deer carcasses for testing in nine western counties beginning next month. The mandate targets the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal prion infection that officials describe as expanding across the state. This regulatory shift occurs as wildlife managers monitor two distinct viral and protein-based threats to local herds.
Clint McCoy, the department's deer program administrator, identified the new testing zone. The area encompasses all of Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties. It also includes portions of Crawford, Morrow, Delaware, Union, and Hancock counties. The testing protocol activates at the start of gun season later this month.
McCoy noted that CWD is a growing concern because it tends to spread once detected. He stated that there is no known location in the country where the disease has appeared without subsequent expansion. The disease is caused by a prion, an aberrant protein fragment that lodges in the deer brain. Infected animals can transmit the prion to others through contact or via contaminated soil, water, and plants.
The biological timeline of the infection presents a specific challenge for containment. CWD is fatal, but the process can take up to 18 months to kill the animal. During that period, the deer remains part of the herd and can continue to shed prions. McCoy added that these proteins can persist in soil for years. This durability makes the disease difficult to eliminate once it is established in an area.
Wildlife officials are also tracking hemorrhagic disease, which poses a different type of threat. This virus is spread by a tiny midge and caused significant population declines in southern Ohio last year. This year, the disease affected parts of northern Ohio, including Lorain and Portage counties. McCoy explained that the long-term impact of this virus is limited because surviving deer develop antibodies.
He cited climate change as a factor in the midge population growth, noting that warmer weather favors their survival. While the prion in CWD has an unknown potential to infect humans, officials advise hunters not to consume infected meat. The state harvests approximately 220,000 deer annually. Citizens are encouraged to report sick or dead deer to assist in tracking the spread of both diseases.
