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There are three local businesses that have enrolled as testing stations for the Department of Natural Resources chronic wasting disease (CWD) program. Scandia Farm & Home, Frankie’s in Chisago City and Mike’s Bait and Sporting Goods in Wyoming Township are participants.

The wildlife section of the DNR plans to collect 13,000 samples from deer this fall. In total 130 big game stations are involved in the sampling.

The Chisago County stations are located in “permit area 236.”

All hunters who turn in a sample for CWD testing are automatically entered in a drawing for prizes of firearms and bows-- provided by MN Deer Hunters Association, Gander Mountain, Bluffland Whitetails Association, Austin Halleck and the MN Sport Archery Assoc.

Lou Cornicelli, big game coordinator with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, told the County Press hunters should call ahead and make sure there’s a staff person at the stations to receive the sample.

The DNR is attempting to offer the testing at registration stations that have been “clustered” in permit areas to collect the most harvested deer., but there may not be staff at all stations on all testing dates throughout hunting season.

This year a lymph node will be removed from the deer head rather than brain stem tissue. The head will still be removed at the test station, Cornicelli added. (Fawns are not being tested.)

“We have streamlined the data collection which should allow hunters to get in and out quickly,” Cornicelli added. You must present the deer at the same time you register in order for it to be in compliance. Don’t register somewhere else and then bring it in for tests.

Once sampling and testing is completed the results for each permit area are going to be posted on the DNR website-- dnr.state.mn.us.

There are local veterinarians who can also test for CWD. Contact them to see if they offer the service.

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