Adams County CWDS Mgt Area in Pa

The Game Commission designated a 600 mile area in Adams County as a CWDS unit.

As part of the Game Commission’s order, which is part of the response plan, Roe used emergency regulatory authority to set in place a variety of actions that will impact hunters. Namely:

1. Hunters within the DMA are prohibited from moving high-risk parts outside of the DMA. High-risk cervid parts include: the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spinal cord/backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides. Parts not considered high-risk include: meat, without the backbone; cleaned skull plate with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present; cape, if no visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure or other soft tissue is present; and finished taxidermy mounts. To accomplish this, the agency will contract with processors to be available at the check station to serve those hunters who plan to move their harvest outside of the DMA without taking high-risk parts with them.

2. Hunters who harvest a deer within the DMA during the two-week firearms deer season (Nov. 26-Dec. 8) are required to bring their deer to a mandatory check station so that samples can be collected for CWD testing. For those participating in any other deer season prior to or after the two-week firearms deer season within the DMA, bringing harvested deer to the check station is voluntary, but encouraged. Deer harvested outside of the DMA will not be eligible for testing at the check station; however, hunters may get their deer checked by the Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Laboratory, for a fee, by calling 717-787-8808

The check station is the Game Commission maintenance building on State Game Land 249, 1070 Lake Meade Road, East Berlin, Adams County.

The check station will begin operation from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, through Tuesday, Oct. 23, except for Sunday, when the check station will be closed. Details about check station hours for the remainder of the early archery and the regular firearms deer season, as well as the late archery and flintlock seasons, will be announced at a later date.

The benefit to the hunter is two-fold: the Game Commission will cover the cost of having the animal tested, and the hunter will be notified if the harvested deer is found to be infected with CWD. The benefit to the agency is that it will be able to test a sufficient number of deer within the DMA without having to resort to culling deer simply for testing.

3. Hunters within the DMA are prohibited from using or possessing any cervid urine-based attractants. Such attractants cause deer to congregate in certain areas and increases the likelihood that CWD could spread if it is found in the wild.

Additionally, Roe noted that the order prohibits the rehabilitation of deer within the DMA, as those deer will be euthanized and tested for CWD.

The order also prohibits the feeding of cervids, which causes deer to congregate in certain areas and increases the likelihood that CWD could spread if it is found in the wild.

Finally, those individuals with a menagerie permit from the Game Commission will be prohibited from transporting live deer into or out of the DMA, and no new menagerie permits will be issued for locations within the DMA.

The order does not impact cervid livestock operations, which are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture.