We encourage all hunters who harvest deer in the CMA to submit their deer for testing. Knowing the geographic spread and prevalence is critical to managing the disease. Working together we can manage CWD.

Does DNR have any regulation changes proposed for the CWD Management Area?

Georgia DNR does not have any proposed baiting restrictions or regulation changes for the CWD Management Area. Our priority right now is to identify the geographic extent (how far it has spread) and the prevalence rate (what percentage of deer have CWD).

If you choose to bait or feed deer in the CWD Management Area, here are the recommended practices that may reduce transmission risk:  

• Broadcast the feed over large areas (500+ square feet),
• Avoid trough and gravity feeders or piles on the ground
• Move feeding locations periodically to minimize buildup of excrement in soil
• Limit feeding to when you are actively hunting,

Can I continue to bait or feeding deer in the CWD Management Area?

If you choose to bait or feed deer in the CWD Management Area, here are the recommended practices that may reduce transmission risk:  

• Broadcast the feed over large areas (500+ square feet),
• Avoid trough and gravity feeders or piles on the ground,
• Move feeding locations periodically to minimize buildup of excrement in soil,
• Limit feeding to when you are actively hunting.

Is Georgia DNR going to reduce herd numbers in the CWD Management Area?

While other states of have used significant deer herd reductions in CWD Management Areas, Georgia DNR does not believe it is an appropriate management strategy in our state. Georgia DNR’s goal is to maintain landowner and hunter support and cooperation for the long-term management of CWD.

Georgia DNR is working collaboratively with the landowner and hunters on the property where the CWD positive deer was harvested to collect a small number of additional samples. The landowner, or hunter they choose, will harvest deer most likely to have had contact with the positive deer. The vast majority of samples will come from deer killed for other purposes (hunter harvested deer in season, roadkills, and crop damage permits), the number taken specifically for CWD testing will be a negligible percentage of the population on the property.

I harvested a deer outside Georgia that tested positive for CWD, what should I do with the meat?

Contact your local Game Management office for advice on proper disposal at https://georgiawildlife.com/about/contact#gm. CWD has not been shown to infect people, but the CDC recommends not consuming deer that test positive for CWD.

I harvested a deer outside the CMA, should I get it tested? 

If you hunt outside of the CMA, it is not necessary to have your deer tested. However, DNR has established relationships with taxidermists and processors around the state to collect samples for hunters that would like their deer tested. DNR will directly contact the hunter if a deer tests positive.

I hunted in the CWD Management Area this past season (2024-2025) and have meat from deer harvested in that area in my freezer. Can I get the meat tested? If I don’t want to eat it, what should I do with the meat? 

Currently, there is no reliable, approved food-safety test for meat. The only approved CWD tests that provide consistent and accurate results use lymph nodes or brain tissue. Researchers are working on testing methods using meat or other deer parts. If you are uncomfortable consuming the meat from this past deer season, DNR staff can advise you on proper disposal.