(LEX 18) — Kentucky Fish and Wildlife moved to approve establishing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance measures in nine new counties on Friday, bringing the state's total number of counties in a surveillance zone to 23.
New counties in a CWD surveillance zone include Casey, Laurel, Lincoln, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Wayne and Whitley counties.
They join 14 counties already in a zone: Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Meade, Union and Webster counties.
The agency reports that this move comes as the disease caused by an abnormal protein, called a prion, was detected in a deer harvested in September in Pulaski County. Affecting animals belonging to the deer family, CWD is always fatal.
Although CWD is not known to be able to transmit to people, the public is encouraged to avoid eating meat from wildlife that tests positive for the disease.
Regulations in affect for these counties include:
Carcass transport limit: Whole deer carcasses or high-risk parks harvested in these zones cannot be transported out of these counties; however, de-boned meat, cleaned skulls and teeth, antlers, hides and finished taxidermy mounts are permitted.
Rehabilitation ban: Deer within the zone cannot be rehabilitated.
Baiting restrictions: Although baiting is still permitted in all counties in a CWD surveillance zone, it cannot be done so through contact feeders. Feeding is still prohibited statewide from March 1 to July 31, and remains illegal in Wildlife Management Areas.
KYFW reports that 70,000 deer and elk has been tested for CWD since 2002 statewide, and hunters are encouraged to submit their samples at drop-off sites or via mail-in kits throughout hunting season.
To find more information about CWD testing, click here.
To report a sick or dead deer, contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife during business hours at 800-858-1549 or info.center@ky.gov, or via the Sick or Dead Deer Online Reporting Form.
