WAUSAU, Wis. – In cooperation with local businesses, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will collect samples for chronic wasting disease surveillance testing during the 2015 archery and gun hunting seasons in Adams, Juneau, Portage and Marathon counties.

Nine cases of chronic wasting disease have been detected over the past few years in Adams, Juneau and Portage counties. To help track the distribution of the disease in these counties and test additional harvested deer, the department has established surveillance areas. Surveillance is also being conducted in the areas surrounding captive white-tailed deer facilities in Portage and Marathon counties, where the disease has been previously detected. To view current focus areas, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “cwd sampling.”

During the 2015-16 deer seasons, DNR staff will work with local taxidermists and cooperators to provide collection points near or within surveillance areas. Here, hunters can drop off deer heads and submit lymph samples.  Please call ahead to ensure the cooperator will be available to sample your deer.

The current list of central Wisconsin cooperators can be found below:

• Hartnell’s Wild Game Processing – 1925 Cypress Ave., Arkdale, 608-339-7288;
• Trevor Athens Taxidermy – 982 15th Ave., Arkdale, 608-547-6117;
• B&L Taxidermy – 1088 13th Ave., Arkdale, 715-323-1782;
• Froh’s Taxidermy – W9650 Jacobsen Rd., Camp Douglas, 608-547-1279;
• Field and Stream Taxidermy – 217 S. Front St.,  Coloma, 608-547-1565;
• Wisconsin River Meats – N5340 County Road HH, Mauston, 608-847-7413;
• Todd’s Wildlife Taxidermy – N2148 State Road 58, Mauston, 608-847-7693;
• Vollmer Taxidermy – 3631 Plover Rd., Plover, 715-345-1934;
• All Seasons Taxidermy – W9711 Beechnut Dr., Wautoma, 920-765-1078;
• Superior Taxidermy – 9710 Camp Phillips Rd., Weston, 715-359-0557;
• Strictly Wild Processing – 140 Buffalo St., Wisconsin Rapids, 715-421-0587;
• People’s Meat Market – 6811 Burr Oak Rd., Custer, 715-592-6328;
• Almond Rod and Gun Club – 8092 County Rd. GG, Almond, 715-570-1147; and
• Roche-A-Cri Bowman (24hr drop off in wood shed) – 2021 14^th Dr., Friendship, 608-339-6460.

Hunters that harvest adult deer in the surveillance areas during the archery season can also remove the deer head with at least three inches of neck attached, freeze the deer head and contact DNR staff (information below) and arrange to drop off the deer head at one of the following DNR offices:

• Mead Wildlife Area Headquarters – S2148 County Rd. S, Milladore,  715-457-6771;
• Wisconsin Rapids Service Center – 473 Griffith Ave., Wisconsin Rapids,  715-421-7813; and
• Adams-Friendship Ranger Station – 532 N. Main St., Adams, 715-213-5925.

CWD tests are free of charge, and test results will be sent within three to four weeks.  For more information, search keyword “CWD.” Information regarding collection stations will also be made available throughout the season via the DNR website.

Electronic Registration

All harvested deer will be registered electronically in 2015. Hunters have three options for registering their deer:

• online at gamereg.wi.gov;
• electronically at a participating in-person registration station; or
• via telephone at 1-844-GAME-REG (1-844-426-3734).

Registration via telephone requires callers to enter the first three digits that correspond to the county of harvest. It is important to remember that only one digit needs to be entered for each letter. For example, Crawford County would be entered as 2-7-2 for C-R-A. The registration system will ask for clarification if counties have a similar abbreviation.

A link to the electronic registration system is also available through the Pocket Ranger application for mobile devices.

For more information regarding electronic registration, search keywords “electronic registration.”

Deer hunters are encouraged to check out the frequently asked questions page for more information regarding several rule changes for 2015. The FAQ feature provides brief responses to a wide variety of deer hunting questions, ranging from deer management unit boundaries to antlerless permits. To view the FAQ and other helpful information, search keyword “deer.”