The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will hold a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) public information meeting Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Concordia Community Center located at 26356 Louisiana Highway 15 in Ferriday.
CWD information and updates will be presented. Due to additional CWD detections in Tensas Parish last deer season, the CWD Control Area, which included Tensas Parish and portions of Madison and Franklin parishes, has been expanded to include northeast Concordia Parish.
In response to the January 2022 detection of CWD in Tensas Parish, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted regulations for the established CWD Control Area. The regulations are intended to reduce further spread of the disease.
To learn more about CWD and complete regulations, go to: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cwd
Summary of CWD Control Area Regulations:
- All supplemental feeding, including mineral or salt licks, is prohibited within the CWD Control Area. The purpose of this feeding ban is to reduce the potential for the spread of CWD through artificial congregation of deer at bait sites.
- The use of approved bait not normally ingested by deer for feral hog trapping will be allowed.
- The export of cervids, cervid carcasses or part of a cervid carcass originating within the CWD Control Area is prohibited, except for: meat that is cut and wrapped; meat that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned cervid teeth.
- Export exceptions for taxidermy, which require permit, have been established. The deer head waiver permit must be completed before moving the deer head outside of the CWD Control Area to a taxidermy business. The permit is available on the LDWF CWD webpage (link above). Additional taxidermy waiver instructions on transport and disposal are available by visiting: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Hunting/Deer/Files/Taxidermy-waiver-instructions-CWD-Control-Area.pdf
For more information, contact LDWF Deer Program Manager Johnathan Bordelon at jbordelon@wlf.la.gov.