The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding firearms deer hunters in southwest Minnesota that chronic wasting disease sampling will be mandatory on opening weekend, Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8. Hunters in the region must have every deer they harvest that is one year old or older tested.
Mandatory sampling is new to the region and part of a broader change in how the state tracks the fatal deer disease.
“We want to get the word out to hunters about our change in strategy for CWD surveillance this fall,” Patrick Hagen, Wildlife Disease Response Coordinator for the DNR, said in a news release. “This will be a change for a lot of hunters in the southwest.”
Shifting to rotational sampling
The DNR has moved to a four-year statewide rotational surveillance plan. The state is divided into four blocks, each about a quarter of its area. Each year, hunters in one block must have eligible deer tested on firearms opening weekend.
Southwest Minnesota begins in 2026, followed by the northwest in 2027, the northeast in 2028 and the southeast in 2029.
In the past, the DNR sampled near areas of known disease. That approach tracked CWD spread in those risk areas, but nearly two-thirds of the state has gone more than 20 years without a targeted surveillance effort, according to the DNR.
“The rotational sampling will give us a more complete picture of where CWD exists in Minnesota,” Hagen said. “Recent detections of disease in areas of the state outside of current CWD management zones has prompted the need for a broader approach to sampling.”
How to get a deer tested
Hunters in the southwest block can use staffed or self-service sampling stations, request a free mail-in kit before opening weekend or visit a taxidermist or deer processor in the CWD Partner Sampling Program. Hunters using a mail-in kit must request a shipping label after harvesting a deer, which lowers the chance of samples lost to expired labels.
Voluntary sampling remains available statewide in any deer season. Archery season runs through December 31, youth deer season and early antlerless-only seasons run October 15-18 and muzzleloader season runs November 28-December 13.
In deer permit area 236, north of Stillwater, the DNR is collecting additional samples through all open deer seasons after a CWD-positive wild deer was found nearby. Hunters there can also use several self-service stations.
Carcass disposal rules change
Movement restrictions for deer harvested inside a CWD management zone have been replaced with a carcass disposal rule. Hunters may now move carcasses within or outside these zones if they dispose of them through a refuse hauler, a local landfill or a meat processor. On private property, a carcass may be disposed of onsite with the landowner’s permission.
“The carcass disposal rule will give hunters more flexibility in handling and transporting their deer, while promoting safe disposal methods,” Hagen said.
Hunters must still quarter deer harvested outside Minnesota before importing them.
Buy licenses early
The DNR launched a new electronic license system in June and is asking hunters to buy licenses early. Some customers who had multiple records in the old system will need help from the DNR License Center to transfer their history. Licenses can be bought through the mobile app, online or in person from a license agent.
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