PIERRE, S.D. – Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was recently confirmed in Sully and Lyman counties in South Dakota. Samples were obtained from two male white-tailed deer by hunters in Lyman County and one male mule deer from sick surveillance in Sully County.
This means hunters who harvest deer from these counties must follow the new CWD regulations to help reduce the spread of CWD.
Fourteen counties in South Dakota are now known to be infected with CWD, which includes eight counties added during the fall of 2019.
“We’ve learned that CWD is not a disease just restricted to the Black Hills and west river counties and this definitely creates some challenges moving forward,” said GFP wildlife program administrator Chad Switzer. “We have expanded our surveillance efforts for the 2020 hunting seasons, and hunters submitting their harvested deer from priority surveillance areas is key to determining CWD presence in South Dakota.”
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal brain disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. Animals in the later stages of infection with CWD may show progressive loss of weight and body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, loss of muscle control and eventual death. Chronic wasting disease is always fatal for the afflicted animal. CWD poses serious problems for wildlife managers, and the implications of long-term management for free-ranging deer and elk is unknown.
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