Chronic wasting disease, a fatal disease found in the deer family, has been detected in 29 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, including at 19 captive cervid facilities.

However, after a later appeal by the Stolzes, county officials said they would allow deer on the 120-acre portion of Copper Hills zoned Ag-1, or agricultural.

The county also said it would issue a cease-and-desist order if any of the “Stolz property is used in a pay-to-hunt operation” or “if any of the F-1 (Forestry) zoned land owned by the Stolz family is used to keep normally wild animals.”

A Department of Natural Resources employee reportedly observed deer on the forested portion of the fenced property in February.

Bayfield County officials later confirmed directly with Dirk Stolz that deer had been transferred to Copper Hills from Tamarack Elk and Deer Farm and that the animals were roaming across the entire property.

The concerns of Bayfield County residents escalated with last week’s announcement of a CWD-positive buck in the source herd.

“Local control isn’t local anymore,” said Rob Schierman, Bayfield County administrator of zoning and planning. “We were trying our best to protect the wild deer in our area. As quickly as a truck pulled in with a bunch of captive animals, that might have changed.”

The epidemiological evaluation by the DATCP will assess conditions at both of the Stolzes’ farms, including examinations of the facilities and review of sources and movements of animals to and from the properties.

It will also attempt to determine the date of death of the diseased buck found at Tamarack Elk and Deer Farm.

Until the assessments are complete, the DATCP won’t make any determinations about what to do with animals at the sites, said Bill Cosh, communications director for the agency.