Regulatory Changes Will Expand Deer Sampling Efforts Within
State and Establish a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone
With the initial discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Delaware confirmed earlier this year, and the start of deer hunting season less than a month away, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has adopted emergency regulations to try to limit the spread of CWD and confine it to the area where it was found.
The initial identification triggered activation of the state’s CWD plan, with one of the first steps to conduct widespread sampling in the area where the initial cases were found. In July, DNREC worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) Wildlife Services and local landowners to collect and test additional deer to better understand the distribution and prevalence of CWD in the area. APHIS focused cluster sampling of 100 deer adjacent to the two initial CWD findings did not turn up any more cases of the disease.
The new emergency regulations – which relate to the area in Central Sussex County where CWD was found – are designed to reduce activities that bring deer together, limit the movement of potentially infected animals and infectious material, and increase CWD testing during the upcoming season. DNREC will continue CWD surveillance, with state and federal wildlife disease experts evaluating testing results to determine next steps.
“While it comes as a relief that no additional positive samples were found during the focused cluster sampling, the measures in the new regulations aim to help us contain CWD while its range is limited in our state,” DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said. “Now is the time to get ahead of CWD, because once CWD starts spreading it’s much more difficult to manage.”
The new regulations implemented by DNREC as of Aug. 17 will:
- Establish a CWD Management Zone (CMZ) that encompasses Wildlife Management Zones 14 and 16, including DNREC’s Midlands Wildlife Area and Trap Pond State Park, in lower Sussex County.
- Prohibit the use of bait and feed for attracting deer within the CMZ;
- Requires hunters to check in deer harvested within the CMZ during the November general firearm “shotgun” deer season (Nov. 13-22) at two designated stations:
- Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s Jones Crossroads Landfill near Georgetown
- The Gumboro Service Center, near where the Whitetail Open takes place.
- Defines requirements for hunters moving harvested deer out of the CMZ elsewhere within the state.
- Prohibits the rehabilitation and relocation of “rescued” deer fawns originating within the Sussex County CMZ, and
- Places a statewide ban on the use of natural urine-based “buck lures” to hunt deer. Buck lures are connected to CWD because infectious abnormal misfolded proteins, called prions, that cause the fatal disease are shed in animal bodily fluids – and can be transmitted to other deer either from direct contact or when browsing vegetation grown in CWD-tainted soil.
Hunters interested in having their deer tested during the hunting season will be able to do so at self-serve drop-off locations located throughout the state. More details for this service, to be provided at no cost to hunters, will be available on the DNREC website prior to the start of the hunting season. Also, before the season begins, the Division of Fish and Wildlife will distribute an addendum to the 2026 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide with expanded information about CWD. This pamphlet will be available when hunters pick up their guide in hard copy and also will be found on the de.gov/cwd webpage.
Emergency regulations are good for 120 days with a potential 60-day extension. However, in order to make the changes permanent, DNREC will need to go through the normal regulatory process, including public comment.
More information about CWD, including the state response plan to the disease, a map of the management area where CWD was confirmed, and public guidance for hunting deer in Delaware and eating venison from harvested animals – can be found on the de.gov/cwd webpage. For more insights into CWD and living in a state where it exists, see DNREC’s Outdoor Delaware online magazine.
About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 75,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov
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