CWD deer cases skyrocketed in Illinois this past year, partly due to more testing

A dramatic spike in CWD-positive deer discovered in Illinois this past year could be enough to trigger bells and whistles . . . and maybe even alarms.
But so far, loud noises have been held at bay by the uncertainty of what caused the spike. What is known is that between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, a total of 369 deer with the disease were identified in 18 counties. That was up from 218 positive cases the year before. The 69% bump in positive deer represents the largest year-over-year increase since DNR began monitoring the deer herd for CWD 20 years ago.

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