Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a disease that can affect wild and captive cervids (deer, elk, moose, and caribou) in Iowa and is transmitted by a misfolded prion protein shed in saliva, nasal secretions, and other excreta. 

Prions are normal host proteins found throughout the body, however exposure to the infectious form can force a conformational shift that causes prions to aggregate in the brain. Prion diseases are uniformly fatal and pose a grave risk to long-term herd health in populations afflicted by this disease.

How does CWD spread?

CWD can be transferred from deer to deer via direct contact and contact with bodily fluids. Therefore, prevalence and spread increase with deer density. However, abnormal prion proteins that are shed from CWD positive deer can persist in the environment for many years, which can additionally infect deer. As a result, disease prevalence is also independent of deer density. 

Does CWD have a vaccine?

There is currently no viable vaccine or other treatment. Consequently, once a wild deer herd has become infected, removal is nearly impossible and increased prevalence is extremely likely. Deer management strategies generally have focused on mitigating the prevalence and spread of the disease via population reduction or some form of isolating or quarantining infected areas. Recent research in Wyoming has found that CWD has been documented to have strong population-level effects.

What Hunters Need to Know

• 2023-2024 Chronic Wasting Disease, Hunter Guide 
• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Interactive Dashboard

First detected in Allamakee County in 2013, CWD has been slowly increasing its footprint to include 10 counties and 133 positive wild deer. The Iowa DNR has been monitoring for CWD since 2002, then increased its effort in the immediate area surrounding the positive deer to help determine the presence and prevalence of the disease. 

Though CWD testing is not regulated as a food safety test in the United States, it is our best way to keep these misfolded prions out of the human food chain; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend, when hunting in areas with CWD, strongly consider having the deer tested for CWD before you eat the meat. If your animal tests positive for CWD, do not eat that animal. For further recommendations, refer to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Deer Management Zones

The Iowa DNR has created a number of special deer management zones that offer opportunities for hunters who are willing to harvest deer in specific areas.

Chronic wasting disease is spread through direct contact between deer, and through urine, blood, feces and saliva left on the landscape where it remains infectious for years. This disease is 100 percent fatal. Infected deer may not display symptoms. 

These deer management zones allow hunters additional opportunities to pursue deer while assisting the Iowa DNR with population management and the collection of valuable disease data. Each zone has its own antlerless licenses specific to the area, in addition to any existing county quota. Please refer to the 2024-2025 Deer Population Management Zone Hunts for additional information. Maps for each of these zones can be found below.

Licenses for DMZ

Hunters must still have permission to hunt any property within areas zones: purchasing a tag does not guarantee trespassing rights. Please respect private property.

These licenses are outside of the restriction of how many firearm seasons a hunter participates in, meaning that one resident of Iowa hunter can purchase DMZ licenses for Early Muzzleloader, Shotgun 1, Shotgun 2, and Late Muzzleloader season while still obtaining a Statewide Any Sex tag for a season of their choice. 

Licenses do not transfer between seasons and hunters must still follow all of the rules for the season they are hunting and location they are hunting. These licenses may be purchased for any regular hunting season: Youth/Disabled, Early Muzzleloader, Archery, Shotgun 1, Shotgun 2, and Late Muzzleloader. They must be used within the defined boundaries of the zone they are purchased for. CWD Zone tags may only be purchased at the specific vendor listed for each zone.

There are a few stipulations hunters agree to when purchasing these licenses:

1. Licenses are good only in the zone, not county wide
2. Hunters are asked to call the number on the zone map for sample collection.
3. Successful hunters must check to see if a tissue sample is needed and provide one if requested.

Carcass Transport

Under Iowa law, hunters cannot transport into the state the whole carcass of any cervid (i.e., deer, elk, moose) taken from a CWD-infected area. Only the boned-out meat, the cape, and antlers attached to a clean skull plate (from which all brain tissue has been removed) are legal to transport into Iowa. 

Surveillance & Reporting

The Iowa DNR has developed an interactive Dashboard to share information about CWD Positives in Iowa, Positive Sample Statistics, and Surveillance Data from current and previous seasons. 

• Access CWD reporting system
• View CWD surveillance maps 

Hunter Submission Pathway

Hunters with county specific or general deer licenses may hunt in these zones without the stipulations but are encouraged to provide tissue samples.

In December 2019, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in partnership with Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) rolled out the hunter submission pathway for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing. This option is available to hunters both in- and out-of-state for cervids harvested in Iowa that either:

• Do not meet the DNR’s surveillance criteria (i.e. fawns) or,
• Are harvested in counties or management zones that have already exceeded surveillance quotas

Submit a CWD Sample

We test for CWD in free-ranging white-tailed deer using the medial retropharyngeal lymph node, which requires a cut to the neck right behind the jaw. If you intend to mount your harvest, you can work with your taxidermist to pull a sample. Otherwise, you can bring an intact carcass or just the head to your local DNR Unit so our field staff can pull your sample. 

Additionally, if you are interested in learning how to collect your own sample, check out the video and other resources produced by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Since lymph nodes come in pairs, only one “A” lymph node will go to the lab for testing. Hunters should retain the “B” lymph node until results have been released.

If you are interested in CWD testing through the hunter submission pathway, contact your local DNR Wildlife Biologist to arrange a time for drop-off. The cost of testing through the VDL is $25 per sample. 

To submit a sample for testing online:

This submission allows for online payment. Your Web ID from this submission will be needed at the time of sample collection.  Visit the portal: CWD Testing Web Portal

To send samples directly to the VDL by mail: 

Place the “A” lymph node in a clean Ziploc bag labeled with your Web ID. Ship to the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Library using a standard envelope or other shipping container. Ice packs are optional.

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Iowa State University
1937 Christensen Drive
Ames, IA 50011-1100

Please note, cervids harvested outside of Iowa are also eligible for testing through the VDL. For elk, both brainstem (obex) and lymph node must be screened.