The Ontario government is asking hunters to submit samples from harvested white-tailed deer to the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance program. This surveillance is intended to support the province’s efforts to prevent the spread of CWD through ongoing monitoring and early detection.
CWD is a fatal, untreatable brain disease affecting members of the deer family, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou. CWD has not been found in Ontario wildlife but has been detected in all five U.S. states bordering Ontario, as well as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Québec.
This year, the ministry will be conducting its annual surveillance in two target regions throughout the hunting season:
- Central Ontario (Sharbot Lake to Midland) in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs): 56, 60, 62, 75, 76A, 76B and 76E.
- Southwestern Ontario (Windsor to Chatham-Kent) in WMUs: 94A and 94B.
During the fall hunt, ministry wildlife technicians will be canvassing these surveillance areas and asking hunters’ permission to remove a small amount of tissue from deer heads for testing. This sampling will not interfere with hunters processing their harvest, consuming the meat or having the deer head mounted.
All hunters within the surveillance areas are encouraged to take the head of their deer (preferably within a few days of being harvested) to an MNR freezer depot. Depots will be open from early October to mid-December. Hunters submitting a deer head are asked to provide their contact information and the date and general location of harvest. Hunters can find their test results at ontario.ca/CWD.
To report roadkill deer in the surveillance area that may be suitable for testing, call the ministry’s Wildlife Health Information Line at 1-888-574-6656, or email CWD@ontario.ca.
If you see a deer, elk, moose or caribou showing signs of CWD, such as severe loss of body weight, tremors, lack of coordination or unusual behaviour, please report it to one of the following:
- The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-866-673-4781
- The ministry’s Wildlife Health Information Line at 1-888-574-6656
- The ministry’s CWD surveillance program at CWD@ontario.ca
To learn more about how you can help keep CWD out of Ontario, please visit ontario.ca/CWD.
