St. Paul No positives were found in tests of 1,160 lymph node samples taken from wild deer harvested during the 2003 firearms season, the Minnesota DNR announced Tuesday.

The results are the first from 10,000 samples that were taken
from wild deer harvested by hunters. Samples were collected at 132
big game registration stations located in the northwest, northeast,
southeast, east-central, and west-central portions of the state.
Samples tested were from deer harvested in permit areas 248, 411,
413, and 414. Results are posted at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/

mammals/deer/cwd/testingresults2003.html.

Additional permit areas will be posted online as they are
completed. Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator, said he
was encouraged by the initial round of results and was hopeful the
remaining samples would be negative as well.