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Sickness in Deer Population
Wisconsin continues to struggle with sickness in its deer herd.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday released the results from its 2025 hunting season Chronic Wasting Disease tracking report.
“In total, 17,759 deer were sampled throughout the state during the 2025 hunting seasons with 2,006 samples testing positive. Most (87%) of these detections were in the Southern Farmland Zone,” the DNR reported.
Just over 2,000 positive CWD samples means 11% of the deer that were tested had CWD.
The Southern Farmland Zone runs from Dodge County to Vernon county, and south to the Illinois border. It does not include the Madison-area or the WOW counties and Milwaukee.
The DNR says the Southern Farmland Zone is the worst area for CWD in the entire state.
“During the 2025 hunting seasons, 7,656 samples were tested in the Southern Farmland Zone. Of those, 22.7% (1,737) were positive for CWD. Similar percentages were seen in 2024. More positives continue to be found in southwestern Wisconsin than in the southeastern part of the state,” the DNR added.
In other words, the CWD rate in the Southern Farmland Zone is double the statewide rate.
“CWD remains a complex issue with no single solution for managing the disease,” DNR deer herd health specialist Erin Larson said in a statement. “However, the department remains committed to continuing CWD efforts, including providing services to hunters and creating partnerships with the people of Wisconsin to work towards the common goal of a healthy deer herd and outstanding hunting opportunities in our state.”
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