Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

09/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/22/2025 13:18

Ontario Calls on Hunters to Help Monitor for Chronic Wasting Disease

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Table of Contents

  1. Content
  2. Quick Facts
  3. Related Topics
  4. Media Contacts

Content

The Ontario government is asking hunters to submit samples from harvested white-tailed deer to the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance program. This surveillance is intended to support the province's efforts to prevent the spread of CWD through ongoing monitoring and early detection.

CWD is a fatal, untreatable brain disease affecting members of the deer family, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou. CWD has not been found in Ontario wildlife but has been detected in all five U.S. states bordering Ontario, as well as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Québec.

This year, the ministry will be conducting its annual surveillance in two target regionsthroughout the hunting season:

  • Central Ontario (Sharbot Lake to Midland) in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs): 56, 60, 62, 75, 76A, 76B and 76E.
  • Southwestern Ontario(Windsor to Chatham-Kent) in WMUs: 94A and 94B.

During the fall hunt, ministry wildlife technicians will be canvassing these surveillance areas and asking hunters' permission to remove a small amount of tissue from deer heads for testing. This sampling will not interfere with hunters processing their harvest, consuming the meat or having the deer head mounted.

All hunters within the surveillance areas are encouraged to take the head of their deer (preferably within a few days of being harvested) to an MNR freezer depot. Depots will be open from early October to mid-December. Hunters submitting a deer head are asked to provide their contact information and the date and general location of harvest. Hunters can find their test results at ontario.ca/CWD.

To report roadkill deer in the surveillance area that may be suitable for testing, call the ministry's Wildlife Health Information Line at 1-888-574-6656, or email [email protected].

If you see a deer, elk, moose or caribou showing signs of CWD, such as severe loss of body weight, tremors, lack of coordination or unusual behaviour, please report it to one of the following:

  • The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-866-673-4781
  • The ministry's Wildlife Health Information Line at 1-888-574-6656
  • The ministry's CWD surveillance program at [email protected]

To learn more about how you can help keep CWD out of Ontario, please visit ontario.ca/CWD.

Quick Facts

  • The first 500 hunters who provide a sample from a deer harvested in each surveillance area will be given a collectable crest.
  • Deer under one year of age are not tested since CWD is less likely to be detected in young animals.
  • Since CWD surveillance began, the ministry has tested over 16,000 hunter-harvested white-tailed deer in Ontario. CWD has not been detected in any of the samples tested.
  • Ontario released its CWD Prevention and Response Plan in December 2019 to ensure the province continues to minimize the risk of the disease entering or spreading within the province.

Related Topics

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Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry published this content on September 22, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 22, 2025 at 19:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]