MDC provides freezer drop-off sites in Northeast region to aid hunters in voluntary CWD testing

KIRKSVILLE, Mo-To make it easier for deer hunters to help monitor Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has deployed deer head drop-off sites in 13 counties in the Northeast region. Each site has a freezer that will preserve the samples, which will be picked up later by MDC staff for CWD testing. To submit a deer head for testing, hunters will be required to cut off the head in advance, so it can be left in the freezer.

The goal is to provide hunters an additional way of submitting their harvested deer for voluntary CWD testing. These self-serve drop sites will enable hunters to submit deer heads for sampling at their convenience throughout the 2024-2025 fall deer hunting season.

The sample drop-off sites in the Northeast region include:

• Adair Co.- MDC Northeast Regional Office, 3500 E. Gans Rd. in Kirksville
• Clark Co.-Wyaconda Fire Department, 25813 Locust St. in Wyaconda and Nick's Farm and Home, 22424 US HWY 136 in Kahoka
• Knox Co. -Edina Fire Department, 208 E. Monticello in Edina
• Lewis Co. - Murphy's, MO-16 in Monticello
• Macon Co.-MFA, 1805 N. Missouri Street in Macon and New Cambria Volunteer Fire Department, 107 W. Jones Ave. in New Cambria
• Monroe Co. - Monroe County USDA office, 18771 HWY 15 in Paris
• Putnam Co. -Charlies Place, 2808 W. Main St. in Unionville
• Ralls Co. - Hobby Hut, 28880 MO-19 in Perry
• Randolph Co. - Mid-Missouri Taxidermy, 2073 State HWY EE in Moberly and Rothwell Park, 107 Rothwell Park Rd in Moberly and Higbee Fire Station, 100 Adems St. in Higbee
• Schuyler Co.-The Outler, 811 US-63 in Lancaster
• Scotland Co.-Nutrien Ag, 14431 State HWY 15 in Memphis and Hillside Gun Shed, 18827 County Rd. 555 in Memphis and Corner of Route H and HWY 163 in Arbela and Memphis Farm and Home, 463 S. Market St. in Memphis
• Shelby Co. - USDA office, 210 E. Main in Shelbyville
• Sullivan Co.-Shop and Talk Convenience Store, 9 W. Hwy 6 in Green City

For an interactive map showing all voluntary CWD testing drop off sites throughout the state, go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZCH.

Hunters should cut off the deer head (and antlers for any bucks) while leaving about six inches of neck attached before coming to the drop-off location. Materials will be available at the freezer sites, such as trash bags, zip ties, and data sheets, that hunters can use in labeling the heads.

Hunters will need to record their name and contact information, as well as their Telecheck ID numbers and the location the deer was harvested. They can then simply leave the head in the freezer. Staff will collect the head and pull the samples to be submitted for testing.

The drop-off sites will not be available for use during the opening weekend of the firearms deer season (Nov. 16 - 17) in counties where mandatory CWD sampling is required, which includes Adair, Macon, Sullivan, Schuyler, Clark, Scotland, Randolph, Lewis, Monroe, and Shelby counties. Hunters harvesting deer in mandatory CWD sampling counties must use the MDC staffed sampling locations normally used for CWD Mandatory Sampling during the opening weekend. The drop-off sites will still be open in Knox, Ralls, and Putnam counties, as these have been excluded from mandatory sampling during the 2024 season. The sites in these counties will provide a voluntary sampling option for those hunters who would still like to get their deer tested.

Hunters will be able to check the results themselves online using their Telecheck ID at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZuEwithin three weeks. MDC will notify a hunter directly if their sample returns a positive result. The Centers for Disease Control does not recommend consuming meat from a deer that has tested positive for CWD.

CWD is a neurological disease that is fatal to deer. A deer may be infected with no visible symptoms. The only way to positively identify the presence of CWD is to extract lymph nodes from the animal's neck. The disease has been confirmed in Adair, Macon, Sullivan, Clark, Scotland, Randolph, and Putnam counties in MDC's Northeast region, as well as counties elsewhere in the state. Hunters can play an important role in helping MDC monitor and track the disease in Missouri by providing this valuable data.

Hunters who harvest deer from any of the CWD Management Zone counties are reminded that they must follow carcass transportation restrictions when traveling to CWD testing sites. Visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z9V, or see the 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information and Regulation booklet for details.

The drop-off sites will be available to accept samples until the conclusion of the 2024-2025 archery deer season, Jan. 15, 2025.