Minnesota DNR discontinues targeted culling in three southeast deer permit areas

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will discontinue targeted culling in deer permit areas 646, 647 and 648, in the southeast corner of the state, where chronic wasting disease has reached endemic stage, or a point in which some of the current methods of management are no longer effective.

When CWD prevalence reaches 5% or greater, the disease has reached a threshold where research shows culling is not effective at reducing disease prevalence or controlling the spread. Therefore, the management strategy will shift emphasis toward other CWD management tools within the endemic zone while working to prevent the spread of the disease beyond these areas.

This follows the DNR’s CWD surveillance and management plan developed in 2019 and most recently updated in July 2024.

“While it is disappointing that CWD prevalence has been increasing in these areas, it still remains relatively low compared to neighboring states, and we have not given up efforts to minimize its impact,” said Wildlife Health Program Supervisor Michelle Carstensen. “There are still many opportunities in these DPAs and statewide for hunters and landowners to engage in the fight against CWD, including participating in liberalized hunting opportunities, getting deer tested for the disease, and following safe carcass disposal guidelines.”

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Even though DNR is not pursuing targeted culling as a management tool in these three endemic DPAs, local landowners and hunters can still help manage CWD in these areas by actively participating in opportunities to increase antlerless deer harvest, abiding by carcass movement restrictions, obeying feeding and attractant bans, and participating in additional hunting opportunities.

Outside of the DPAs where CWD is now endemic, the DNR will continue to focus on early detection of new CWD cases through sampling efforts and employing aggressive actions to contain the spread, including culling where targeted operations are needed and effective.

Research shows that for targeted culling to be effective, landowner-granted access to deer is central to its success. The DNR encourages landowners to participate in the fight against CWD by allowing access to their land for culling operations.

Targeted culling is a management tool used to remove additional CWD-positive animals, focus on social groups that are related to infected individual deer and locally reduce deer densities. The DNR culling strategy targets only deer within two miles of a CWD-positive female deer or group of males that have been detected in the last two years.

The DNR does not cull across entire deer permit areas. U.S. Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services staff are contracted by the DNR to cull deer on public lands and private land where permission is granted by landowner.

More information about CWD and the DNR’s CWD response plan is available online.