CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative

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Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal and contagious disease of deer that threatens Missouri’s deer population, hunting culture, and economy. MDC works with landowners and hunters to slow the spread of CWD to protect Missouri’s deer population.

MDC works with landowners to manage CWD in CWD Core Areas, which are areas within approximately two miles of where CWD has been detected. Within these areas, MDC’s goal is to help slow the spread of CWD by increasing deer harvest to remove additional CWD-positive deer and to lower deer density. To accomplish this, MDC provides no-cost CWD Management Permits to qualifying landowners for use in the core area during deer season. MDC also works with landowners on a voluntary basis to remove deer during post-season targeted removal from Jan. 16 to March 15.

CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative

This year, MDC is trying a new approach to CWD management in four CWD Core Areas (Clark, Pulaski, Randolph, and Scotland counties). The new harvest initiative involves setting a harvest goal for each CWD Core Area that hunters work toward during the deer hunting season. 

If hunters meet the harvest goal for a particular CWD Core Area during the deer hunting season, post-season targeted removal will not occur in that core area this winter. 

For a deer to count towards the harvest initiative goal in a CWD Core Area, 1) it must have been harvested from within the CWD Core Area, and 2) the head must be submitted for CWD sampling along with proper documentation, which is provided at freezer locations and at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors. MDC has placed freezers for hunters to drop off the heads (with 6 inches of neck) of deer harvested within these CWD Core Areas during the deer hunting season (Sept. 15, 2024 to  Jan. 15, 2025) except on Nov. 16-17, 2024, when deer must be taken to a mandatory CWD sampling station (except in Pulaski County; see 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for more information). 

Hunters can remove the antlers, skull cap, and/or cape of their deer prior to depositing the head and neck in the freezer. MDC staff will regularly pick up heads and sample them for CWD. To count toward the harvest initiative goal, hunters can also have their deer sampled for CWD at any cooperating meat processor or taxidermist that collects CWD samples for MDC.

Landowners with at least five acres in the core area can receive no-cost CWD Management Permits to use while hunting on their property in the core area. Permits can be assigned to any hunter. Hunters can be reimbursed up to $75 for each CWD Management Permit used if the deer head is submitted for CWD sampling. Get more information about CWD Management Permits.

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The harvest goal for the Clark County CWD Core Area is 250 deer, or approximately 10 deer per square mile. During a typical deer season, hunters in Clark County harvest approximately 5 deer per square mile. So, the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative goal is about an additional 5 deer per square mile, or about an additional deer per 130 acres.

For a deer to count toward the harvest initiative goal:

  1. It must have been harvested from within the CWD Core Area, and 
  2. The head must be submitted for CWD sampling along with proper documentation, which is provided at freezer locations and at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors.

If the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative harvest goal is met this year, post-season targeted removal will not occur in the core area this winter. Unless there is another CWD detection, the harvest initiative and targeted removal will not occur in this core area in future years. 

Freezer head drop locations for the Clark County CWD Core Area include:

  • Nick’s Farm and Home: 22424 Hwy. 136, Kahoka, MO (40.414, -91.712)
  • Wyaconda Community Fire Department: 25813 Locust St., Wyaconda, MO (40.391,-91.924)

Freezers will be available during the deer season from Sept. 15, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025, except on Nov. 16-17, 2024, when deer must be taken to a mandatory CWD sampling station (see the 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for more information). To count toward the harvest initiative goal, hunters can also have their deer sampled for CWD at any cooperating meat processor or taxidermist that collects CWD samples for MDC. For the Clark CWD Core Area, nearby cooperators include:

  • Tuttle’s Taxidermy: 31795 County Rd. 237, Williamstown, MO (40.301, -91.798)
  • Kahoka Meat Processing: 115 S. Jefferson St., Kahoka, MO (40.420, -91.723)

Kahoka Meat Processing also participates in the Share the Harvest program.

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The harvest goal for the Pulaski County CWD Core Area is 305 deer, or approximately 9 deer per square mile. During a typical deer season, hunters in Pulaski County harvest approximately 5 deer per square mile. So, the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative goal is about an additional 4 deer per square mile, or about an additional deer per 160 acres.

For a deer to count toward the harvest initiative goal:

  1. It must have been harvested from within the CWD Core Area, and 
  2. The head must be submitted for CWD sampling along with proper documentation, which is provided at freezer locations and at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors.

If the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative harvest goal is met this year, targeted removal will not occur in this core area this winter.

Freezer head drop locations for the Pulaski County CWD Core Area include:

  • Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District Training Center: 25785 Red Oak Rd., Waynesville, MO (37.786, -92.269)
  • LMC Convenience Store: 1320 US Route 66 West, Waynesville, MO (37.813, -92.224)

Freezers will be available during the deer season from Sept. 15, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025, in Pulaski County (see the 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for more information). To count toward the harvest initiative goal, hunters can also have their deer sampled for CWD at any cooperating meat processor or taxidermist that collects CWD samples for MDC.

For the Pulaski CWD Core Area, nearby cooperators include:

  • Classy Taxidermy: 26286 Rambling Ln., Richland, MO (37.780, -92.330)
  • K & K Meat Processing: 364 Phillipsburg Ln., Richland MO (38.012, -92.470)

K & K Meat Processing also participates in the Share the Harvest program.

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The harvest goal for the Randolph County CWD Core Area is 550 deer, or approximately 11 deer per square mile. During a typical deer season, hunters in Randolph County harvest approximately 6 deer per square mile. So, the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative goal is about an additional 5 deer per square mile, or about an additional deer per 130 acres.

For a deer to count toward the harvest initiative goal:

  1. It must have been harvested from within the CWD Core Area, and 
  2. The head must be submitted for CWD sampling along with proper documentation, which is provided at freezer locations and at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors.

If the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative harvest goal is met this year, targeted removal will not occur in this core area this winter.

Freezer head drop locations for the Randolph County CWD Core Area include:

  • Mid-Missouri Taxidermy: 2073 Hwy. EE, Moberly, MO (39.420, -92.403)
  • Solar Pavilion at Rothwell Park: 107 Rothwell Park, Moberly, MO (39.425, -92.469)
  • Higbee Area Fire Protection District: 100 Adams St., Higbee, MO (39.307, -92.514)

Freezers will be available during the deer season from Sept. 15, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025, except on Nov. 16-17, 2024, when deer must be taken to a mandatory CWD sampling station (see the 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for more information). To count towards the harvest initiative goal, hunters can also have their deer sampled for CWD at any cooperating meat processor or taxidermist that collects CWD samples for MDC. 

For the Randolph CWD Core Area, nearby cooperators include:

  • Buck Ridge Custom Meats: 36234 Kayak Ave., Excello, MO (39.663, -92.471)
  • McKenzie Deer Processing: 23562 Price Bridge Ave., Keytesville, MO (39.501, -92.960)
  • Yoder Processing: 13736 Beechnut St., Ethel, MO (39.896, -92.781)

Buck Ridge Custom Meats and Yoder Processing also participate in the Share the Harvest program.

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The harvest goal for the Scotland County CWD Core Area is 465 deer or approximately 9 deer per square mile. During a typical deer season, hunters in Scotland County harvest approximately 5 deer per square mile. So, the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative goal is about an additional 4 deer per square mile or about an additional deer per 160 acres.

For a deer to count toward the harvest initiative goal:

  1. It must have been harvested from within the CWD Core Area, and 
  2. The head must be submitted for CWD sampling along with proper documentation, which is provided at freezer locations and at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors.

If the CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative harvest goal is met this year, targeted removal will not occur in this core area this winter.

Freezer head drop locations for the Scotland County CWD Core Area include:

  • NutrienAG Solutions: 14431 Hwy. 15, Memphis, MO (40.530, -92.161)
  • Memphis Farm and Home: 463 S. Market St., Memphis, MO (40.452, -92.169)
  • Corner of H and Hwy. 136 in Arbela (40.454, -92.021)

Freezers will be available during the deer season from Sept. 15, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025, except on Nov. 16-17, 2024, when deer must be taken to a mandatory CWD sampling station (see 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet for more information). To count towards the harvest initiative goal, hunters can also have their deer sampled for CWD at any cooperating meat processor or taxidermist that collects CWD samples for MDC.

For the Scotland CWD Core Area, nearby cooperators include:

  • Brassfield’s Taxidermy: 1016 Mi Lor St., Memphis, MO (40.471, -92.179)
  • Missouri Meat Processing: 26832 County Rd. 161, Rutledge, MO (40.349, -92.071)

Missouri Meat Processing also participates in the Share the Harvest program.

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CWD Hunter Harvest Initiative Dashboard

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