![]() Within the zoning system, the DNR has three “ CWD Zone” classifications that restrict harvesting deer depending on the risks of the disease- surveillance, control, and management zones. Some are “limited draw,” meaning a lottery system where only a certain number of applicants are selected, others are “over-the-counter,” meaning anyone who wants a license in that unit may buy one. Each zone has different guidelines for how many licenses will sell to the public. ![]() Minnesota is divided up into zones based off of the deer population and geography. In order to get a deer hunting license, the hunter has to pick what “zone” he or she will be hunting in. The DNR currently has a comprehensive response plan. Challenges still remain, however, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the state legislature have tools at their disposal to combat the spread. Luckily, in Minnesota there were only a handful of cases last season. While it currently poses no threat to humans, Canadian researchers have shown eating the meat from infected animals can infect hungry macaques, prompting the CDC and the World Health Organization to recommend against consumption of CWD positive animals. It is 100% fatal in animals it infects and there is no known treatment or vaccine. It was first discovered in 1967 in Colorado mule deer and is transmissible to other ungulates such as moose, elk, red deer, black-tail deer, Sitka deer, and reindeer. CWD alters the central nervous system, similar to “mad cow disease,” causing deer to lose weight, stumble, drool, and behave similarly to an extra on The Walking Dead. The most concerning threat to whitetail deer in the state is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). As a hunter myself, I understand the importance of protecting Minnesota’s deer herd and habitat. In 2020, over 470,000 licenses were purchased to harvest deer. Minnesota is one of the premier states in the Union for chasing whitetails.
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