Hunters urged to watch for Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease was first discovered in Arkansas in February

2016. Later testing determined that the disease has likely been in the state for decades before being detected. Since the first detections, AGFC has sampled and tested over 10,000 deer and elk from around the state.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has enacted the following special regulations to help slow the spread of chronic wasting disease in Arkansas.

Deer/Elk Movement Restrictions

It is unlawful to import, transport or possess any portion of any species of deer, elk, moose or caribou harvested outside of the state within Arkansas, except the following lowrisk items:

• Antlers and cleaned skulls

• Meat with all bones removed

• Cleaned teeth

• Hides

• Finished taxidermy products It is unlawful to possess any deer or elk harvested within the CWD Management Zone to any location in the state outside the management zone, except the low-risk items listed above.

It is unlawful to possess any deer or elk harvested within Tier 1 of the CWD Management Zone in Tier 2, except the low-risk materials listed above.

Special Elk Regulations

• It is unlawful to use natural scents or lures that contain natural deer and elk urine or other biofluids.

• All elk harvested statewide must be checked. Samples from checked elk must be submitted for CWD testing. Hunters must call 800-482-9262 for instructions on checking elk and submitting samples.

• Elk within the Core Elk Management Zone (Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties) may only be harvested by holders of public land elk hunt permits or private land elk hunt permits in accordance with those permits.

• Any elk outside the Core Elk Management Zone may be harvested by a hunter who is legally hunting for deer with a weapon legal for that season. Seasonal bag limit, one elk either sex.

Special Deer Regulations

• It is unlawful to rehabilitate deer.

• It is unlawful to use natural scents or lures that contain natural deer and elk urine or other biofluids.

• Within the CWD Management Zone, button bucks do not count toward a hunter’s two-buck seasonal bag limit.

• Within the CWD Management Zone, any buck may be legally harvested; All antler-point/size restrictions have been removed.

• Within the CWD Management Zone, the seasonal bag limit has been increased.

• Landowners within the CWD Management Zone may apply for additional deer tags to harvest bonus deer. These deer must be submitted for CWD testing. Landowners should contact their local private lands biologist to receive these tags.

Feeding/Baiting Wildlife Prohibited

It is unlawful to feed wildlife within the CWD Management Zone, except:

• Bait may be used to hunt deer and elk on private land from Sept.

1-Dec. 31.

• Food plots may be used yearround.

• Baiting bears on private land is allowed 30 days before bear season opens. However, before Sept. 1, bears may only be baited with dog food, cat food, pastries/bread, cooking oils/ grease, non-wildlife meat scraps, popped popcorn, fish and fish byproducts.

• Trapping furbearers with the use of bait during open furbearer trapping seasons or hunting furbearers during open furbearers hunting seasons on private land.

• Incidental feeding of wildlife from active livestock operations is allowed.

• Normal agricultural, gardening or soil stabilization practices are allowed.

• Attracting or feeding birds and squirrels with common bird and squirrel feeders, bird baths and grain completely submerged in water is allowed.

• Baiting is allowed for management, research or nuisance wildlife control only with approval by the AGFC Chief of Wildlife Management.