Virginia Hunters Needed for Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance and Management

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would like to ask for your continued support in our surveillance and management of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Chronic wasting disease has been detected in Virginia in five deer killed less than one mile from the West Virginia state line. In addition the continued existence of the disease nearby in Hampshire and Hardy Counties, West Virginia, and Alleghany County, Maryland, remain a concern.

As in the past, the entire CWD Containment Area is a mandatory sampling area for any deer killed on November 16, 23, and 30, 2013. Any deer, or at least the head and neck of any deer, killed in the Containment Area on these three days must be brought to a designated sampling station (listed below). The CWD Containment Area boundaries have not changed: west of I-81 in Frederick County and the City of Winchester, and west of I-81 and north of Rt. 675 in Shenandoah County.

* Cather’s Market, 2765 Northwestern Pike, Winchester
* Cline’s Store, 19004 Senedo Road, Edinburg
* Crossroads Grocery, 119 Cedar Grove Road, Winchester
* Gore Grocery, 305 Gore Road, Gore
* Graden’s Supermarket, 6836 John Marshall Highway, Lebanon Church
* Shawnee Springs Market, 6656 North Frederick Pike, Cross Junction
* T & R Processing, 691 Carpers Valley Road, Winchester

We strongly encourage hunters who are successful on days other than those listed above to volunteer the head and neck from their deer for sampling by bringing it to one of our self-service refrigerated drop stations:

* Frederick-Winchester Conservation Club, 527 Siler Road, Winchester (north of Gainesboro)
* Walker’s Cash Store, 3321 Back Road, Woodstock (intersection with St. Luke Road)
* North Mountain Fire and Rescue, 186 Rosenberger Lane, Winchester (off Rt. 600, behind

Tom’s Market)
* Rock-Enon Boy Scout Camp, 292 Rock Enon Springs Road, Gore, Va. 22637 (on the

porch at Garrabrandt Lodge – 1^st building on right)

In addition to mandatory checking, VDGIF will continue several management actions in the northern Shenandoah Valley in response to the presence of CWD in Frederick County, Virginia. Within the Containment Area, these measures include prohibiting the movement of deer carcasses and parts out of the Containment Area (with exceptions), restricting the disposal of deer wastes from the Containment Area, and prohibiting the rehabilitation of deer. In the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren, and in the City of Winchester, feeding of deer is prohibited year-round, and seasons and bag limits on private lands have been liberalized in an attempt to reduce the deer population.

CWD has been detected in 22 states and two Canadian provinces. The disease is a slow, progressive neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk, and moose in North America. The disease ultimately results in death of the animal. Symptoms exhibited by CWD-infected deer include, staggering, abnormal posture, lowered head, drooling, confusion, and marked weight loss. There is no evidence that CWD can be naturally transmitted to humans, livestock, or pets. Anyone who sees a sick deer that displays any of the signs described above should contact the nearest VDGIF office immediately with accurate location information. Please do not attempt to disturb or kill the deer before contacting VDGIF. More information on CWD can be found on the VDGIF website at: www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/.