Deer hunters in mid-Missouri, specifically those hunting in Audrain, Callaway, and Montgomery counties, are required to participate in mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling this weekend.
All deer harvested on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, within these counties must be brought to a designated CWD sampling location. This requirement coincides with the opening weekend of the November firearms deer season.
These testing efforts are essential for detecting and monitoring the spread of a contagious and fatal brain disease that affects white-tailed deer and other members of the cervid family. The pathogen has currently infected approximately one percent of Missouri’s estimated 1.5 million white-tailed deer population.
“Hunters play an important role in helping MDC monitor the disease and the health of Missouri’s deer herd,” the Missouri Department of Conservation wrote on its website.
Mandatory CWD sampling has transitioned to a four-year county rotation system, under which each county throughout the state will be required to participate once within the next four years.
In prior years, all deer collected from counties where CWD had been detected were subject to mandatory testing; however, this measure proved insufficient in preventing the disease from spreading across the state.
Under the revised approach, one-quarter of Missouri’s counties will conduct testing annually, though each individual county is now only required to participate once within a four-year period.
Voluntary sampling locations remain available across many mid-Missouri counties, providing hunters who harvest deer in any county during Missouri’s deer hunting seasons with the opportunity to have their deer tested at any time.
Mandatory sampling locations are as follows:
Audrain County:
Mexico High School, 639 Wade Street in Mexico
Little Dixie Fire Station, 13998 Highway T outside of Centralia
Callaway County:
Whetstone Creek Conservation Area, 3215 County Road 1003 in Williamsburg
New Bloomfield school bus lot, 314 Redwood Drive in New Bloomfield
Mokane Lions Club Park, 301 River Street in Mokane
North Callaway High School, 2700 Thunderbird Drive in Kingdom City
Montgomery County:
Middletown Fire Department, 211 Johnson Street in Middletown
Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 700 South Sturgeon Street in Montgomery City
Stiers Memorial Park, 201 Main Street in Rhineland
Voluntary sampling locations are as follows:
Audrain County
Reading Farms USA, 2135 East Liberty Street in Mexico (freezer)
Boone County
MDC Central Regional Office, 3500 East Gans Road in Columbia (freezer and office)
K.P. Processing, 4190 Highway 124 West in Harrisburg
Callaway County
Hanson Hills Campground, 3643 County Road 221 in Fulton
Woodland Wonders Taxidermy, 1446 Jade Road in Columbia
Horns Butcher Shop LLC, 3345 County Road 318 in Fulton
Callaway County Emergency Management Building, 4950 County Road 304 in Fulton (freezer)
Camden County
MDC Camdenton Office, 783 Thunder Mountain Road in Camdenton
K and K Meat Processing, 364 Phillipsburg Lane in Richland
Cole County
Conservation Headquarters, 2901 West Truman Boulevard in Jefferson City (freezer and office)
Gasconade County
MFA Hermann, 191 Missouri 100 in Hermann (freezer)
Old Dutch, 1988 U.S. 50 in Owensville (freezer)
Grellner Taxidermy LLC, 1745 Bem Church Road in Owensville
Howard County
KP Processing, 4190 Missouri 124 in Harrisburg
MFA Fayette, 111 Armstrong Street in Fayette (freezer)
Maries County
Maries County SWCD Office, 1001 Vienna Rolla Road in Vienna (freezer)
Miller County
Smokin Bladez Custom Butchering LLC, 257 Foote Lane Road in Eldon
Moniteau County
K & R Butchering LLC, 37122 Bethel Church Road in Fortuna
Schlup’s Cedar Ridge Taxidermy, 32959 Highway K in California
Montgomery County
Montgomery City, 1114 North Sturgeon Street in Montgomery City (freezer)
Jacob Peak’s Taxidermy, 116 Sharon Drive in Montgomery City
Morgan County
Moreau Fire Protection District, 21705 Highway 52 in Barnett (freezer)
Mark’s Meat Processing, 17732 Highway K in Versailles
Osage County
Timber Ridge, 136 Plum Lane in Linn
Rich Fountain, 1426 Highway E in Rich Fountain (freezer)
Scheulen Processing LLC, 1968 County Road 602 in Loose Creek
Saline County
Blind Pony Hatchery, 16285 BP Hatchery Drive in Sweet Springs (freezer)
Morton’s Wildlife Processing, 1231 Grandview in Slater
Hunters utilizing self-service freezers are required to remove the deer’s head prior to drop-off so that it may be left in the freezer. They must also provide their personal information along with a record indicating the location where the deer was harvested.
For a comprehensive list of requirements, hunters are encouraged to visit the Missouri Department of Conservation’s official website.
The department recorded nearly 12,000 deer harvested during the youth portion of the firearms deer hunting season, which took place on October 24 and 25.
