MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking deer hunters to help monitor chronic wasting disease (CWD) in northeast Wisconsin and surrounding counties.

This year’s monitoring will complete multi-year, statewide CWD sampling efforts that began in 2018. The northeast counties included in this effort are Brown, Calumet, Door, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.

The DNR has made CWD testing available and accessible to every hunter in the state by offering free testing and various options to make the sample drop-off process fast and convenient for hunters. Active CWD sampling efforts are currently underway in counties where CWD has already been found.

“We especially encourage hunters in northeast Wisconsin and around our other CWD surveillance areas to get their adult deer tested this season,” said Amanda Kamps, DNR Wildlife Health Conservation Specialist. “Each test result helps us better understand CWD distribution.”

The DNR offers four easy ways to submit a sample and an online map to find sampling locations near you. Be sure to check the map of sampling locations regularly to see additional options as they become available.

●  Self-service kiosks open 24/7: Kiosks have supplies for hunters to drop off their adult deer’s head with 5 inches of neck attached for testing. Check the DNR’s CWD sampling page before your hunt to find a location near you.

●  In-person with cooperating meat processors, taxidermists and other businesses: Visit a cooperating partner for assistance with CWD testing.

●  At-home lymph node sampling: Hunters can extract the retropharyngeal lymph nodes using an instruction kit provided by the DNR and return them to the DNR for testing. Contact your local wildlife biologist to get a kit.

●  By appointment with local DNR staff: Hunters can contact their local wildlife biologist to schedule an in-person appointment.

Hunters are encouraged to use the DNR’s new online form to register their deer, find a CWD sampling location and enter information on deer harvest. The online form automatically fills in the hunter’s name, contact information, customer ID number and harvest registration number and includes an interactive map to drop a pin on deer harvest location. Submitted registration information is available in a user’s Go Wild harvest history.

For more information, visit the DNR’s CWD webpage.