Special to Iredell Free News

A sample from a hunter-harvested, white-tailed deer in nearby Yadkin County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the first detected case of CWD in North Carolina and is very bad news; however, the Wildlife Commission has been preparing for CWD for decades and immediately activated its CWD Response Plan (revised in 2021).

The agency’s goal is to protect North Carolina’s deer herd and deer hunting culture, while working to slow the spread of CWD. To achieve this goal, the agency will work with constituents and partners to implement the response plan and refine the long-term deer management strategy. Continuous information will be shared with constituents as it develops.

Now is an opportunity to get to KNOW CWD. The Wildlife Commission has created a five-minute video to explain the disease, surveillance efforts and how hunters can help going forward.

Video

Learn More

Visit ncwildlife.org/CWD for a wealth of resources, including FAQs.