Mandatory CWD testing requirement remains in place for several Southwest Region units for 2025

Hunters should be aware that mandatory CWD testing requirements remain in place for all deer harvested in Units 23, 24, and 32A, and that samples should be provided to Fish and Game within 10 days of harvest.

While CWD testing is mandatory for deer in these units, they are not currently associated with a CWD Management Zone, which means that carcass transport rules don't apply.

CWD testing first became mandatory for Units 23, 24, and 32A during the 2024 hunting season, following the detection of a CWD-positive mule deer buck near the border of Units 23 and 32A the prior fall. In that first year, hunters provided 918 CWD samples to Fish and Game, all of which came back negative. Unfortunately, compliance with the mandatory testing requirements in 2024 was less than ideal (around 60%) which resulted in Fish and Game testing fewer samples than biologists had hoped.

"Having zero detections out of nearly 1,000 hunter-submitted samples was definitely good news," said Regional Wildlife Manager Regan Berkley. "But the number of samples still fell short of what we need to be certain that, if present, CWD occurs at a very low rate in this area. Our hope is that we can get there with another year of mandatory sampling and better compliance, and that we can reevaluate for next year."