As the 2024-25 hunting season begins, several new or updated chronic wasting disease (CWD) regulations will take effect to reduce the risk of spreading CWD throughout the state.
Statewide Deer Carcass Disposal
In May, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted statewide deer carcass disposal requirements that provide hunters the option to debone a carcass at the site of harvest, provided the hunter maintains proof of sex and tags until reaching a final destination. (Hunters were previously allowed to quarter a deer before reaching a final destination.) Leaving the unused parts at the site of harvest greatly reduces the chance of spreading CWD to other parts of the state. Meat from each deboned carcass must remain in whole muscle groups (i.e. not chopped, sliced or ground) and maintained in a separate bag, package or container until reaching the final destination.
Statewide carcass disposal requirements will apply only if a carcass is transported away from the property of harvest. In this case, unused parts must be:
- Disposed of in a commercial trash service, OR
- Returned to the property where the animal was harvested, OR
- Buried at least three feet below the ground and covered with at least three feet of earthen material.
Hunters may continue to transport a deer carcass or head to a commercial processor or taxidermist. Processors or taxidermists are then responsible for properly disposing of unused parts. “Proper disposal of all potentially infectious material is critical for reducing the risk of disease transmission,” said Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD White-Tailed Deer Program leader. “These new regulations provide hunters more options when it comes to processing their deer to reduce that risk. If CWD is not managed and efforts are not made to mitigate potential spread of the disease, the implications for Texas and its multibillion-dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management and real estate economies could be significant.”
Testing Requirements
Landowners and hunters play a critical role in managing CWD. Before heading to the field, hunters should be aware of several updates pertaining to CWD zones.
Containment zones (CZ) are areas where CWD has been detected in a free-ranging deer. Surveillance zones (SZ) are the areas around containment zones where CWD could be reasonably expected or areas around a captive deer breeding facility in which CWD was detected.
Two surveillance zones in Uvalde County — SZ 10 and SZ 11 — and Limestone County's SZ 12 have been eliminated.
The following zones will no longer require mandatory harvest testing but have moved to voluntary testing (TPWD continues to encourage voluntary testing of hunter-harvested deer in all zones): CZ 1 (Hudspeth and Culberson counties), CZ 2 (Deaf Smith, Oldham and Hartley counties), CZ 3 (Bandera, Medina and Uvalde counties), CZ 4 (Val Verde County), CZ 5 (Lubbock County), CZ 6 (Kimble County), SZ 1 (Culberson and Hudspeth counties), SZ 3 (Bandera, Medina and Uvalde counties), SZ 4 (Val Verde County), SZ 5 (Kimble County), SZ 6 (Garza, Lynn, Lubbock and Crosby counties).
Mandatory CWD testing is still in place for SZ 2 due to additional detections of CWD in free-range mule deer outside of CZ 2. TPWD has also expanded the geographical coverage of the two containment zones in the Panhandle. The most effective way to help slow the spread of CWD is by reporting sick deer, properly disposing of unused carcass parts and voluntarily testing harvests. More information about zone boundaries, check station dates and hours of operations can be found on TPWD's website or the Texas Hunt & Fish mobile app.
