Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Health Cwd topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DNR confirms first chronic wasting disease case in Clay County; public testing and feeding rules likely next steps
Summary
An area wildlife supervisor told commissioners a hunter-submitted test came back positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Clay County. The DNR plans expanded testing this fall and said a county feeding prohibition is likely to reduce deer-to-deer contact.
Rob Baden, area wildlife supervisor out of Detroit Lakes for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 that a hunter-submitted sample tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), marking the county’s first confirmed case.
Baden said the positive sample was reported to the county after a taxidermist forwarded it to DNR testing; the lab turnaround is typically "a week to 10 days," he said, but third‑party handling can delay notification. "We didn't even find out about it until 1st January or so," he said.
The nut graf: The DNR stressed low human health risk — no documented deer-to-human transmission — but urged hunters not to consume deer that test positive and said the department will pursue expanded surveillance and common management steps, including possible restrictions on baiting and feeding to reduce nose-to-nose contact among deer.
Baden said the DNR does not plan immediate large‑scale removal by sharpshooting and that the department’s near‑term focus is testing and surveillance during the next firearm season to understand prevalence. "We haven't proven very effective at getting rid of this disease. We've proven effective at delaying how far, how fast it spreads," Baden said.
He described clinical signs the public might see in late-stage disease — thin, drooling deer that appear to be starving — and asked residents to report sightings of animals exhibiting those signs. Baden added that predators often remove such animals before they are noticed.
On public health and food consumption, Baden told the board that "there's been no cases where this has actually jumped from deer to humans," and noted CDC guidance recommending hunters not eat deer that test positive.
Baden said the DNR is considering a county-level feeding prohibition and may examine permit rules to increase harvest in the affected zone to reduce local deer density. He noted the site is in a high‑density area near a state park and that testing will focus there in fall.
Ending: Commissioners asked about sampling and timelines; Baden said the department can supply mailing kits to hunters who want their deer tested and encouraged reporting of symptomatic animals to local DNR staff.
