Missouri Pauses Post-Season Deer Kill Program Aimed at CWD

The Missouri Division of Conservation has introduced it can pause its controversial post-season deer elimination program, a technique that was designed to gradual the unfold of continual losing illness however had drawn rising criticism from hunters throughout the state.

MDC Director Jason Sumners outlined the shift in an open letter launched Monday, saying the company plans to work extra intently with hunters and landowners to develop a extra sustainable strategy to managing CWD.

Persistent losing illness was first detected in Missouri in 2010 and has since unfold to new areas of the state. Whereas an infection charges stay comparatively low, with roughly 1 p.c of samples testing constructive final yr, MDC officers say analysis exhibits outbreaks can speed up as soon as prevalence reaches about 5 p.c.

For greater than a decade, the division has relied on a mixture of surveillance and aggressive administration to restrict the illness. These efforts included obligatory testing throughout deer season, restrictions on feeding and on the motion of deer carcasses, and a focused deer elimination program performed outdoors the common searching season. The post-season removals usually ran from January by means of mid-March and have been carried out with landowner permission utilizing strategies not allowed throughout basic searching seasons.

In line with MDC Deer Program Chief Jason Isabelle, the division collected roughly 22,000 deer samples following obligatory testing in November, leading to 32 constructive CWD instances. Final yr alone, MDC eliminated about 4,700 deer by means of focused elimination efforts, whereas hunters statewide harvested an estimated 275,000 deer throughout common seasons.

Sumners mentioned the company’s strategy has helped gradual the unfold of CWD however acknowledged that this system has been divisive. Many hunters objected to the usage of bait and spotlights throughout agency-led removals and questioned the effectiveness of killing deer outdoors the season.

In his letter, Sumners emphasised that CWD is a deadly illness that may considerably impression deer populations if left unmanaged, altering age construction and decreasing resilience to different stressors reminiscent of drought and epizootic hemorrhagic illness. He additionally confused that long-term success is dependent upon public assist.

“At the moment, MDC will likely be pausing our post-season focused elimination efforts to work with hunters and landowners to adapt and establish a extra sustainable path ahead,” Sumners wrote.

The division mentioned it stays dedicated to retaining an infection charges low and can proceed surveillance and collaboration efforts because it evaluates future administration methods.

MDC invitations the general public to touch upon these proposed regulation modifications from Jan. 16 to Feb. 14, 2026, at mdc.mo.gov/about-regulations/wildlife-code-missouri/proposed-regulation-changes.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning out of doors journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Impartial Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith electronic mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com