JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In response to public feedback, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will meet with landowners this fall to develop a localized pilot effort in eight CWD Core Areas around the state to help manage deer and chronic wasting disease (CWD).
CWD is a contagious, deadly brain disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. CWD Core Areas are locations within approximately one to two miles of a confirmed CWD case. According to MDC, CWD is a growing threat to deer health and the future of deer hunting in Missouri.
MDC will hold meetings with landowners in the eight CWD Core Areas during early fall to share information about deer management and CWD, answer questions, and learn about landowners’ deer management goals. Landowners in the CWD Core Areas will receive an invitation by mail from MDC before their area meeting with additional details.
All landowner meetings will be held from 6-8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
- Sept. 22 in Mountain View – Mountain View Community Center, 125 E. 1st St.
- Sept. 23 in Lowry City – Lakeland Scout Center, 2740-2998 State Hwy A
- Sept. 28 in Carthage – YMCA Youth Activity Center, 400 S. Maple St.
- Sept. 29 in Moberly – Lodge at Rothwell Park, 109 Rothwell Park Road
- Oct. 1 in Hillsboro – Hillsboro Intermediate School, 10486 Business 21
- Oct. 5 in Cape Girardeau – Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, 2289 County Park Road
- Oct. 6 in Harrisburg – Lions Club, 120 E. Sexton St.
- Oct. 8 in Tina, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Tina-Avalon School Gymnasium, 11896 US-65
During the landowner meetings, MDC staff will share information about the role of hunter harvest in managing deer populations. According to MDC, by increasing deer harvest near (within 1-2 miles) where CWD has been found, CWD will spread slower, the herd will be healthier, and quality hunting opportunities will be maintained into the future.
“The new approach focuses on building partnerships with landowners and putting hunters at the forefront of deer and CWD management by encouraging additional harvest during deer season,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “We’ll use what is learned through this year’s pilot to develop a template that can be replicated in other CWD Core Areas in the future.”
MDC encourages landowners and hunters in all CWD Core Areas to help protect the herd by harvesting additional deer and having their deer tested. To provide hunters with more opportunity to harvest deer, landowners with at least 20 contiguous acres in CWD Core Areas can receive five no-cost CWD Management Permits for use on their qualifying property.
As a result of engagement and continued evaluation, MDC paused its targeted removal efforts in 2025 and currently has no plans to resume this approach. This spring, MDC held meetings with the public throughout the state to seek input on the future of deer management.
“During our conversations, it was clear that landowners and hunters want to maintain a healthy herd and they want to work together to manage deer and CWD through the regular hunting season,” said Isabelle. “This fall’s pilot is in direct response to public feedback we received this spring, and we look forward to partnering on this important effort.”
For more information, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.