The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is looking to hunters for help with their chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance program.
They will be testing deer this fall in the wildlife management units along the Ottawa River between Arnprior and North Bay.
“CWD is a fatal and untreatable disease that affects members of the deer family,” states a release from the ministry. “During the gun hunt, staff will be asking for hunter’s permission to take a small sample from the brain of harvested deer.”
The ministry says participating hunters will be given a 2022 collectable crest and sampling results will be available on their webpage.
Officials say CWD has not been found in Ontario wildlife, but add it’s important to be vigilant because it could cause serious harm to wildlife, hunting opportunities and the economy. The ministry says surveillance is an important tool for early detection and will allow them to respond quickly if found in Ontario.
To learn more about CWD, where the MNRF is sampling, depot locations and more, visit: www.ontario.ca/CWD
