CURRENT STATUS: During the fall of 2012 CWD was detected on a captive deer farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania. In March 2013 the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced three free-ranging deer harvested during the 2012 firearms season from Bedford (1) and Blair (2) counties were also found to be positive for CWD. The three free-ranging deer were sampled as part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's (PGC) annual testing of a portion of the hunter-killed deer collected at deer processors.

Commercial deer farms are inspected and regulated by the state Department of Agriculture, which tests all mortality of suspect animals that die in a captive setting. Following the detection of CWD in both captive and free-ranging whitetail in Pennsylvania, an Executive Order was issued by the PGC to establish Disease Management Areas (DMAs). Within DMAs, feeding and rehabilitation of deer has been banned, as has the use of urine-based lures. Also, transportation out of DMAs of specific cervid carcass parts has been banned.

To learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease, and precautions in place to limit its influence on Pennsylvania's wild deer populations, please visit the following pages: