Effective this fall, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries expanded the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Containment Area (CA) to include all of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties due to detections of the disease near Interstate 81 during the last two years.
Since 2009, CWD — a progressive and fatal neurological disease of deer — has been detected in nine deer harvested by hunters in Frederick County and in one road-kill deer in Shenandoah County. Mandatory sampling requirements and restrictions on carcass export that have been in place in the old CA west of I-81 will now extend to the newly expanded CA.
In order to address any questions or concerns that area hunters may have regarding these changes, VDGIF is scheduling public meetings, as follows:
October 13, 7 PM – Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center 595 Laurel Grove Road, Winchester, VA
October 15, 7 PM – Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors Meeting Room 600 North Main Street, Woodstock, VA
More information on CWD can be found on the VDGIF website.
GEAR WE LOVE:
If you struggle with field-dressing deer by yourself, check out the High Tail Assistant. It’s easy to use and makes the field-dressing process simpler and more efficient.
Features:
- Field dress your deer by yourself in mere minutes!
- Keeps the rear-end off the ground
- Easy to set up in seconds
- Secure and easy one-person job
- Conveniently folds to fit into included canvas carry bag