Mandatory Barry County CWD testing this weekend
Sampling stations will be in Cassville, Purdy and Shell Knob
November 13, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Barry County hunters, as well as those visiting 28 other counties in the state, will need to take any deer shot for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing this weekend. Mandatory CWD testing is to ensure statewide deer populations remain healthy and the disease doesn't take over.
This year's CWD sampling stations will be open on Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.
Barry County is one of 29 counties that are included in the mandatory sampling counties. All counties in or near where CWD has been confirmed in deer populations require testing to give the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) the data needed to put intervention measures in place to keep it from taking over. The counties included in the list are: Adair, Barry, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Hickory, Howell, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Mercer, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Polke, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren and Washington.
In Barry County, sampling stations will be set up in Cassville at Roaring River State Park near the fish hatchery office. In Purdy, a station will be set up at the Purdy Community Center at 402 State Highway C. In Shell Knob, the station will be located at the Central Crossing Fire Protection District headquarters at 23463 State Highway 39. If you are hunting in other counties, the full list of sampling stations is online at mdc.mo.gov/cwd under "Mandatory CWD Sampling."
While mandatory sampling is this weekend only, voluntary sampling is available all season. The voluntary sampling stations are Reflections Taxidermy at 5045 Farm Road 2030 in Monett and Scott's Taxidermy at 5270 Farm Road 2190 in Exeter.
In order to ensure CWD sampling goes quickly and smoothly, MDC recommended the following tips:
• Field dress and Telecheck your deer before arrival.
• You can bring the carcass or just the head with at least 6 inches of the neck attached. (It is OK to remove the cape before you get to the sampling station.)
• The person who harvested the deer must be present.
• Be prepared to provide your Conservation Number and point out the location of harvest on a map.
• If using a paper permit, have it detached from the deer for easy access. If using the MO Hunting app, have your permit and Telecheck information readily available.
• Position the deer in your vehicle with the head and neck accessible.
The results of CWD testing will be available online within a month of the sampling date. The results will be available online at: mdc.mo.gov/CWDTestResults.
CWD is a highly contagious neurological disease. It causes brain deterioration that leads to abnormal behavior, emaciation, loss of bodily function and eventually death. Because of deer’s social habits, once it is in an area, it spreads rapidly given the right circumstances.
The disease is spread deer-to-deer from licking each other or socializing, making the risk of spread in local populations high. While there is no known risk to humans, the disease is devastating to the deer population.
Due to CWD was found in Arkansas as well as Stone County, Barry County and other counties have been under feeding bans to help reduce the chance of it becoming prevalent in Missouri.
Find more information on Chronic Wasting Disease and what MDC is doing about it at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.
Charlea Estes-Jones
Barry County hunters, as well as those visiting 28 other counties in the state, will need to take any deer shot for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing this weekend. Mandatory CWD testing is to ensure statewide deer populations remain healthy and the disease doesn't take over.
This year's CWD sampling stations will be open on Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.
Barry County is one of 29 counties that are included in the mandatory sampling counties. All counties in or near where CWD has been confirmed in deer populations require testing to give the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) the data needed to put intervention measures in place to keep it from taking over. The counties included in the list are: Adair, Barry, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Hickory, Howell, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Macon, Mercer, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Polke, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren and Washington.
In Barry County, sampling stations will be set up in Cassville at Roaring River State Park near the fish hatchery office. In Purdy, a station will be set up at the Purdy Community Center at 402 State Highway C. In Shell Knob, the station will be located at the Central Crossing Fire Protection District headquarters at 23463 State Highway 39. If you are hunting in other counties, the full list of sampling stations is online at mdc.mo.gov/cwd under "Mandatory CWD Sampling."
While mandatory sampling is this weekend only, voluntary sampling is available all season. The voluntary sampling stations are Reflections Taxidermy at 5045 Farm Road 2030 in Monett and Scott's Taxidermy at 5270 Farm Road 2190 in Exeter.
In order to ensure CWD sampling goes quickly and smoothly, MDC recommended the following tips:
• Field dress and Telecheck your deer before arrival.
• You can bring the carcass or just the head with at least 6 inches of the neck attached. (It is OK to remove the cape before you get to the sampling station.)
• The person who harvested the deer must be present.
• Be prepared to provide your Conservation Number and point out the location of harvest on a map.
• If using a paper permit, have it detached from the deer for easy access. If using the MO Hunting app, have your permit and Telecheck information readily available.
• Position the deer in your vehicle with the head and neck accessible.
The results of CWD testing will be available online within a month of the sampling date. The results will be available online at: mdc.mo.gov/CWDTestResults.
CWD is a highly contagious neurological disease. It causes brain deterioration that leads to abnormal behavior, emaciation, loss of bodily function and eventually death. Because of deer’s social habits, once it is in an area, it spreads rapidly given the right circumstances.
The disease is spread deer-to-deer from licking each other or socializing, making the risk of spread in local populations high. While there is no known risk to humans, the disease is devastating to the deer population.
Due to CWD was found in Arkansas as well as Stone County, Barry County and other counties have been under feeding bans to help reduce the chance of it becoming prevalent in Missouri.
Find more information on Chronic Wasting Disease and what MDC is doing about it at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.
