Wildlife agency outlines procedures for mandatory deer CWD check stations

A Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources official gave step‑by‑step instructions for hunters who visit mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) check stations this fall, saying hunters must complete a harvest log immediately after taking a deer and telecheck the animal by midnight of the day of harvest.

The agency official said telechecking before arriving at a check station helps streamline processing and that stations are positioned in Henderson, Union and Webster counties and marked with yellow signs reading "CWD check station." "We ask that you do telecheck it before you come to 1 of our mandatory check stations," the official said.

Why it matters: State and local wildlife agencies use samples collected at CWD check stations to test for chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease in deer and other cervids. The agency’s instructions explain how staff will collect samples and how hunters can confirm that a check was completed and later view test results.

The official outlined the on‑site process: staff will scan a paper license QR code or collect basic contact information, then ask what the hunter intends to do with the deer. If a hunter plans a full shoulder mount, the official said staff will not remove the head before discussing options and noting where the deer is going for taxidermy. "We're not gonna cut its head off before talking to you," the official said. For hunters who do not need the head preserved, the official said staff will remove the head, place it in a barrel and send it to a central processing location.

For European mounts, the official said staff can collect samples while allowing hunters to keep the portion of the head needed for that mount. "What we'll do is just simply pull our sample from the neck area. We're taking 2 lymph nodes right near the jaw line, and we can either fully cut the head off or we can just cut where we need to," the official said.

The official said hunters receive a small business‑card style proof of check with a five‑digit number. Owners can enter that number on the agency website to look up test results; the official said results usually appear in about four to six weeks unless a processor or taxidermist must first complete work and submit the sample.

A resident who stopped at the station asked, "Are you wanting to mount this deer or anything?" and later asked whether staff could "take the whole lehi" (as spoken); staff used the on‑site conversation to decide whether to remove or preserve the head for mounting or processing.

The official closed by thanking hunters for their cooperation and wishing them a successful hunting season.

The agency did not cite a specific statute or regulation during these remarks, and no formal vote or decision was recorded.