By: Ag. Reporter Mollie Goode
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources received negative results from the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance and testing for the 2024-2025 deer season.
During this round of testing, the Fish and Wildlife Department found no new cases of the disease among the 9,204 samples taken statewide.
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department has tested over 60,000 deer and elk for the disease, and to date has detected two wild deer with CWD. The first case was tested in November 2023 from a wild deer in Ballard County and the most recent case was found in October 2024 from a captive deer facility in Breckinridge County.
Joe McDermott, the deer program coordinator for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, says they are grateful to all of the deer hunters who participate in the testing and help them monitor the health of the state’s deer population and the spread of CWD.
CWD samples can be submitted by hunters at CWD Sample Drop-off sites or through CWD Sample Mail-in Kits. Testing for the disease is free and hunters can access the results four to six weeks after.