Hunters have several options for testing deer
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is providing hunters with a list of contractors who will take samples from deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing, and the agency will also take samples from a limited number of deer for testing. Some hunters are concerned about the disease because a few cases have been confirmed in northwest Kansas in the past. Although there is no evidence that CWD can be passed from animals to humans, KDWP continues to test for the disease, and hunters are encouraged to participate in the testing process.

There are a few things hunters should know before they present a deer for the tests, including the following:

• Sampling and testing are free through KDWP and KDWP CWD contractors, but results won't be readily available.
• KDWP will sample 460 deer from each of four zones, plus 500-1,000 deer from northwest Kansas. Once the sampling goal is attained in a particular zone, KDWP sampling will stop in that zone.
• Hunters have the option of taking their deer to a veterinarian, who may extract samples and submit them to Kansas State University for a $32 lab fee per deer, plus service and shipping fees.
• Hunters may also submit their own samples to K-State for the $32 lab fee; shipping charges apply if the hunter does not deliver the sample in person.
• KDWP results will not be posted on the KDWP website. If a positive is detected, the hunter will be contacted by telephone. Otherwise, the hunter will not be contacted.
• CWD testing is not a food safety test; it is a herd health test. KDWP does not recommend eating the meat of a CWD-positive deer or any diseased animal.
• Currently, there is no evidence CWD can be transmitted to humans or livestock.

For more information on the KDWP CWD surveillance program, write Shane Hesting, KDWP Wildlife Disease Coordinator, 1830 Merchant, P.O. Box 1525, Emporia, KS 66801, or phone him at 620-342-0658.

The following is a list of 2009-2010 KDWP CWD contractors, as of November 2, 2009. Additions and Subtractions to the list can be found HERE.

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