Hunters are required to bring deer killed on opening weekend to a testing site for chronic wasting disease.
COLUMBIA — November firearm deer hunting season returns for Missouri residents but with new stipulations to stop the spread of a fatal disease.
Saturday, Nov. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 26, marks the November deer firearm season for residents in Missouri.
Hunters are required to bring deer killed on opening weekend to one of the testing sites throughout mid-Missouri used to test for chronic wasting disease. It is a fatal and contagious disease to deer, and other members of the deer family, that affects the nervous system. There are 43 counties that mandate the testing.
Opening weekend is crucial for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“We utilize this time to help collect samples so that we can track chronic wasting disease,” Maddie Fennewald of the MDC said.
All deer harvested from certain counties in the state must be telechecked by the hunter before being transported. Deer can be telechecked online or using the MO Hunting app.
There are three sampling locations within Boone County: Hallsville Primary School, Ashland Optimist Club and MDC Central Regional Office and Conservation Research Center in Columbia.
Hunters can arrive at any of the locations between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. to get their deer tested. Hunters can bring either the whole deer (after field dressing) with them or just the head and six inches of the neck. Testing is done by removing the lymph nodes, which are then sent off for testing.
Fennewald said the testing typically takes two weeks but can take as long as four weeks.
If a deer tests positive for chronic wasting disease, MDC will contact the hunter, recommend they don’t eat the deer, and ask where they killed the deer. The agency has different steps it take depending on the location of the deer.
The MDC recommends that the hunter double bag the deer and put it out with the trash; however, if that cannot be done, they suggest hunters to dispose of the deer on the property where it was harvested.
KOMU 8 Digital Producer Kate Ramseyer contributed to this report.
