OREGON COUNTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that an adult female deer in Oregon County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). A landowner found a dead deer on their property and was concerned. MDC was notified, and staff collected a sample and had it tested for CWD.
This is the first deer found dead in Missouri that has tested positive for CWD. The nearest confirmed CWD positive is over 70 miles away in Arkansas. This new CWD positive case brings the total number of CWD cases detected in free ranging deer in Missouri to 76 since 2012.
Hunters in or around Oregon County can have their deer tested during normal business hours at the Ozark Regional Office in West Plains. Hunters can bring the entire deer — preferably field dressed — or the head with at least 6 inches of the neck in place to the office and MDC staff will take a sample to have it tested for CWD.
Hunters that harvest deer outside of business hours can remove the head, keep it cool, and bring it to the office during business hours.