Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Season of Firsts in Minnesota | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

posted in: CWD

November 3, 2025

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Season of Firsts in Minnesota

From guiding a young hunter to facing a new CWD zone, TRCP’s Aaron Field finds meaning – and responsibility – in a lifetime of deer seasons close to home

“If you sit here long enough, and quiet enough, a deer will walk by.”

That advice, delivered by my dad at the start of my very first hunt, still bounces around in my skull every time I go out, and I haven’t proved him wrong yet.

I’ve looked forward to every deer season since then, but this one already stands out as a season of firsts. From the opportunity to guide my daughter through her first morning in the woods to now navigating a new CWD management zone, I’ll be seeing familiar country in a different light – and feeling a deeper sense of responsibility for what’s ahead.

My first hunting experience was for white-tailed deer in western Minnesota, and I have repeated that experience for almost 25 years now, almost exclusively within a 20-mile radius of where I’m sitting right now. By the time I was old enough to go along, deer were the only thing my dad hunted. Losing a great dog and access to a few favorite ponds had ended his interest in duck hunting. Ruffed grouse numbers weren’t what they used to be, and “No Trespassing” signs had gotten a lot more common. But he still hunted deer, so I had my entry point.

In those first years, deer populations were down. Rifle hunters could choose to hunt for two days on opening weekend or three days the following, and nobody I knew hunted with a bow. Either-sex tags were only available via lottery. As you can imagine, we didn’t let forkhorn bucks walk by back then.

I’m a public land bird hunter, but I hunt deer on private land. I’m lucky enough to have good access to decent deer hunting, and I figure that I don’t need to compete with the people who don’t, especially when, for many hunters, deer season is their only chance to get out.

For the last five years I’ve taken it a little further and limited myself to hunting deer on my own property, within a couple hundred yards of my house. I’ve got about 15 acres of woods and swamp, and there’s decent deer traffic as they move from bedding in the swamp to feeding in the neighbor’s’ corn and soybean fields. After a few years on a ladder stand, I built an elevated box stand, 6’x8’ with a roof and a good staircase. I built it big (and safe) so I could bring my kids along, but I can’t say it bothers me one bit to have a windbreak and a spot to set my coffee cup on cold mornings. I know it’s not modern to have one, fixed stand location that you hunt in any wind direction, but I’ve always wanted to replicate the one I “helped” my dad and uncle build when I was a kid, and I rarely sit there without having deer go by, so I’m sticking with it for now.

I get a ton of satisfaction from that stand. It’s on my land, I built it myself, and the deer I see are there, at least partially, because of my own chainsaw and shovel time. When I bought the property, it was heavily invaded by common buckthorn. Not only does buckthorn limit the growth of native plants that deer prefer, having a dense stand of thorny shrubs really hurt my kids’ willingness to play in the woods. I’ve spent the last five years using a combination of chainsaw time, herbicides, and targeted goat browsing to knock it back, and I’m making good progress. It’s one of those battles that might be unwinnable in the long run, but one I’m going to keep fighting.

This year is one of at least two firsts. After a quarter century of hunting on my own and for myself, this year my primary goal is supporting my 11-year-old daughter’s first deer hunt. She’s a good shot, has spent time with me in the deer stand before, and has done a little squirrel hunting, but I was surprised when she told me she wanted to hunt deer this year. She passed her hunter safety training with flying colors and is an awful lot more responsible than I was when I started hunting, so we’re going to give it a go.

The second first is a lot less exciting. During the 2024 season, a wild deer harvested in the neighboring permit area, maybe 25 miles northwest, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, which means I’m now hunting in a “CWD Surveillance” unit. I’ve been working on federal policy related to CWD for a few years now, so I understand the issue a lot better than I would otherwise, but I must admit that it has been nice to not deal with it here at home.

Both personally and professionally, I’ve tried not to be too prescriptive on how I ask other hunters to deal with CWD. There are too many variables, personal motivations, and constraints for me to try to tell someone exactly what they should do. There are definitely best practices out there though, and I think the least we can do as hunters is learn about this issue and avoid being part of the problem. Mainly, hunters should know and follow the regulations, even if it’s inconvenient. In my case, I’ve been impressed with the clarity and amount of information that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has available for hunters like me dealing with CWD for the first time.

CWD doesn’t move quickly on its own, but it can cover large distances if humans move deer around. For a long time, hunters have focused on the role that captive cervid operations play in moving potentially infected deer long distances and across state lines. That’s valid criticism, and the practice needs to stop, but hunters also need to make sure we don’t compound the problem. For me, that means any deer we take stays close to home. That’s easy for us, as we typically do our own processing, but I am getting a little tired of the “just ok” smoked sausage I tend to end up with, so we may be engaging a local professional for at least one deer this year.

Hunter participation in CWD testing is a little more complicated than what’s in the regulations book. Testing will only be mandatory if I harvest a deer during the opening weekend of our firearms deer season, but I intend to have every deer we harvest tested this year. Where I hunt, the odds of harvesting a CWD-positive deer are probably very low, so I would personally be comfortable going without testing from a food-safety perspective. But testing results here will determine how deer biologists and managers respond to CWD in my area. The better data these professionals have, the more likely they are to keep prevalence at low or even zero levels.

I have a biology degree, but I was always a lot more interested in ecology than anatomy, so digging lymph nodes out of a deer head and mailing them in for testing doesn’t really appeal to me. I’ve watched the process done at a check station in Nebraska once, and attended a demonstration by the Minnesota DNR last fall, but, if I’m honest, I didn’t pay nearly as much attention as I should have. I was a lot more interested in seeing how a professional butcher broke down a deer than I was in learning how CWD testing was done.

Thankfully, there will be a limited number of staffed check stations nearby, although they’re only open for part of the season. Minnesota DNR also partners with taxidermists, who will remove samples and submit them for testing for a fee. Otherwise, the website says I can make an appointment with my local DNR biologist to get some help. That sounds like the most interesting option and would give me an excuse to meet a local biologist, but I imagine they will be busy. I intend to use one of those routes for the first deer or two and ask a lot of questions. After that I’m hoping I’ll feel competent enough to pull my own samples moving forward.

Those who really care about the future of deer hunting and want to do more have options too. One of the most important is finding ways to make sure that decision-makers, whether in your state or at the federal level, know how important wild deer and wild deer hunting are to you. Let them know that you value quality deer hunting, and that federal and state governments should value it too. Right now, wildlife management in general, and CWD in particular, are not getting the attention and funding they deserve. Without hunters speaking up, they never will.

I can’t wait for the season to come, and by the time anybody reads this, it probably has. It will be a season of firsts for me – some exciting, some challenging – but each one a reminder of why hunting matters and what’s at stake. I’m 100% certain the positives will far outweigh the negatives, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that when my daughter’s 25th deer season rolls around, it’s even better than her first.

Deer Season – Hunting and CWD.

This new TRCP series shares the personal deer hunting stories of three staff members while exploring the practices aimed at addressing the spread of chronic wasting disease. This season, we invite you to follow along and take part in preserving what we love most about deer hunting.

As deer seasons open across the country, hunters are packing gear, checking maps, and preparing for the moments that define another fall outdoors. But today’s deer hunters face new challenges – chief among them, the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a 100-percent fatal neurodegenerative wildlife disease that affects members of the deer family. While more and more hunters are finding CWD in their backyards, it remains a source of confusion for many.

From pre-season prep and regulation changes to lessons learned in the woods and around deer camp, Deer Season – Hunting and CWD will show how everyday hunters are part of the solution. Along the way, you’ll find tips, resources, and reflections that tie together our love of the hunt with our shared responsibility to keep deer herds healthy for future generations.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

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by: Jim Kauffman

posted in: CWD

October 28, 2025

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: Prepping for the Pennsylvania Season

As TRCP’s Jim Kauffman prepares for a new deer season in Pennsylvania, he reflects on tradition, responsibility, and staying vigilant about CWD to help keep our herds – and our hunting heritage – strong.

Each summer, as the days grow shorter and trail cameras start lighting up, I feel that familiar pull toward deer season. The ritual of scouting, planning, and preparing connects me to the same woods my dad and grandfathers hunted. But in recent years, there’s been a new layer of responsibility for that preparation: staying informed about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and how it affects the deer and the places I love to hunt.

Last season brought long days, snow, and new challenges, but also memories that I’ll never forget, especially carrying out a buck on my back, in the dark, with my grandfather’s rifle, and sharing venison with friends and family. Like many Pennsylvanians, I cherish these traditions and the public lands that make them possible.

Pennsylvania has a rich tradition of deer hunting camps, and each fall many Pennsylvanians (including me) look forward to pursuing deer in its northern forests. I am fortunate to reside in a region where deer are plentiful, so opportunities also exist to hunt deer at home. Rich agricultural lands with woodlots and forest patches are widespread, and the public lands of the ridge and valley province offer ample deer hunting opportunities. Undulating forested ridges run throughout most of central Pennsylvania, framing semi-developed valleys with productive farmlands. Many of the ridge tops are public land, offering an opportunity to pursue deer that utilize these forests to grow fat on corn and soybeans in the valleys below. The Appalachian Trail runs along the southernmost ridges here, facilitating access to deeper deer haunts, if you are willing to put a few miles on your boots. So before heading to camp, I often pursue deer closer to home.

The downside of hunting in southern Pennsylvania is facing the reality of CWD. The disease was first detected in wild Pennsylvania deer in 2012, and it has continued to spread across the Commonwealth. Each year, positive cases identified outside of established Disease Management Areas (DMAs) warrant DMA expansions and the potential for changing regulations. So, each preseason, I consult the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) regulations to determine whether I will be hunting in a DMA to plan safe carcass movement, butchering, and disposal.

In mid-summer, Pennsylvanians purchase their antlerless tags that determine the Wildlife Management Units where they can pursue does. This is a good time to check the CWD regulations and plan for proper field care and butchering. Fortunately, the areas that I plan to hunt this year still fall outside of Pennsylvania’s CWD DMAs. But this could certainly change in the future as the disease continues to spread – and it is always important to check so you can stay informed about current regulations and requirements. Keep in mind that even if you are hunting outside of Pennsylvania’s DMA areas, you can still get your deer tested if you choose to do so. Testing provides peace of mind to be certain that your deer is not CWD positive, while providing the PGC with additional surveillance data.

During the late summer of this year, I began the usual process of learning a new section of public land on a ridge top closer to home – walking the terrain, looking for signs, and hanging cameras. As summer transitioned to fall, I also spent time at many of my former haunts throughout the northern tier, monitoring conditions and thinking about a game plan for the upcoming seasons. In general, Pennsylvania is having a good mast year, and acorns are plentiful throughout many regions of the state. Scrapes and rubs are becoming more prevalent as bucks prepare for the impending rut, which peaks in Pennsylvania during mid-November.

The 2025 season will be the first in a very long time that Pennsylvanians have had the opportunity to hunt on most Sundays throughout the fall, thanks to bipartisan legislation that repeals a long-standing ban on Sunday hunting. This legislation provides the PGC with full authority to decide which hunting seasons can include Sunday hunting. By permitting Sunday hunting, we now can extend our hunting opportunities and make hunting more accessible to those with limited time to spend afield. I am certainly looking forward to that opportunity.

For hunters preparing this fall, it’s worth taking time to check the PGC’s latest guidance on CWD testing, carcass disposal, and best practices—even if your hunting area lies outside a Disease Management Area, talk with your local processor about their disposal methods or encourage hunting partners to get deer tested if they hunt within or near a DMA. Every step we take helps protect the deer herds that define our seasons.

As hunters, we’ve always cared for the land and wildlife that sustain us. Learning about and adapting to CWD is just the next chapter in that long tradition of responsibility—one that ensures we can keep sharing these woods, and these memories, for generations to come.

With the Pennsylvania deer seasons fast approaching, I look forward to spending time at deer camp with friends and family. Regardless of success, I am certain this fall will provide another round of memories and stories to tell. Check back in at the conclusion of the season – hopefully I’ll have some good news to report.

Deer Season – Hunting and CWD.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

by: Aaron Field

posted in: CWD

October 23, 2025

Introducing TRCP’s New Series: Deer Season – Hunting and CWD

This new TRCP series shares the personal deer hunting stories of three staff members while exploring the practices aimed at addressing the spread of chronic wasting disease.

This year marks my 24^th year as a deer hunter, and almost all that hunting has taken place within 20 miles of where I’m sitting right now. I suppose I could call it 25 years, but I wasn’t old enough to carry a rifle the first time I got to go along. Back then we had a real deer camp. Dave and Arlene, my great uncle and aunt, had a piece of property a little ways east of here, in the part of western Minnesota that starts to look like the swamps and woods further east.

There were probably 6-10 hunters on any given day. We’d head for our stands before first light and sit until Uncle Dave got restless, which usually didn’t take more than a few hours, and then we’d get together and plan the midday deer drive. Generally, those who still had tags to fill would sit on stumps, buckets, or box stands on likely escape routes. Everybody else, including the “husky” 11-year-old I was at the time, formed a line and drove the tamarack and cattail swamps toward the posted hunters.

I still have a clear memory of that first drive. Watching my Dad duct tape the tops of his rubber boots to his jeans, I wondered if I might be in over my head. Turns out I just about was. It was mid-November in Minnesota, and the swamps were frozen, but the ice was only about a half inch thick. Most steps I’d break through, but I was determined to keep up my place on the line. Eventually I figured out I could hop from root to root on the tamaracks and make pretty good progress.

My strategy fell apart when the forested swamp faded into an open cattail slough. The cattails were taller than I was, so I couldn’t see the rest of the drivers, but I could hear the steady whoops and whistles we used to keep track of each other. About the time I thought I couldn’t break cattails for another step, I stumbled into a beaver run going exactly the direction I was heading. I was soaked to the knee already, so walking in the water was no problem, and I silently praised my genius as a navigator.

That is, until about 50 yards later when the foot deep beaver trail dropped off to four feet and left me standing neck deep in icy water. I’ll never forget the laughter and pride in Uncle Dave’s eyes when he saw me pop out of the swamp at the end of that drive, exhausted, soaked, grinning, and a newly minted lifelong deer hunter.

I’d bet that every deer hunter reading this has a similar story, and probably several. Deer hunting creates community, it teaches life lessons, it fosters a connection to nature, and it feeds families.

That’s why this fall, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is launching a new blog series, Deer Season: Hunting and CWD. Through the eyes of three TRCP staff members: Ryan Chapin in Montana, Aaron Field in Minnesota, and Jim Kauffman in Pennsylvania, we’ll share personal stories from the field and explore what hunters can do to help slow the spread of CWD.

Deer Season – Hunting and CWD

From pre-season prep and regulation changes to lessons learned in the woods and around deer camp, these stories will show how everyday hunters are part of the solution. Along the way, you’ll find tips, resources, and reflections that tie together our love of the hunt with our shared responsibility to keep deer herds healthy for future generations.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.” This season, we invite you to follow along and take part in preserving what we love most about deer hunting.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: CWD

October 10, 2025

TRCP Announces New Conservation Staff Member in Pennsylvania

PA field representative will focus on key state conservation issues as well as national wildlife health concerns, including Chronic Wasting Disease

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced today the addition of Jim Kauffman, who will serve as the organization’s Pennsylvania field representative and wildlife health coordinator. This position will ensure that hunting, fishing, and trapping opportunities are maintained for all Pennsylvanians through sound conservation policy and scientific management strategies while helping TRCP achieve its mission to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

In this role, Kauffman will serve as the organization’s state representative for conservation, access, and habitat policies affecting hunters and anglers, as well as work to address water quality concerns that affect Pennsylvania’s trout streams, wetlands, and downstream waters including the Chesapeake Bay. He also will coordinate the organization’s strategy to combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) nationwide and support partners in educating hunters about other relevant wildlife diseases and pest threats.

“Despite growing up in suburban Pennsylvania, I was fortunate to have access to two cabins on public land that allowed my family to maintain our rural roots and passion for the outdoors,” said Jim Kauffman, Pennsylvania field representative and wildlife health coordinator for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Those places have inspired in me a life dedicated to wildlife conservation, fair access to public lands, and the ethical pursuit of game.”

A lifelong Pennsylvanian, Kauffman holds a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State and a master’s in biology from East Stroudsburg University. His career initially focused on the research and management of wildlife species including river otters, bobcats, fishers, and ring-necked pheasants. He has also worked extensively with private landowners to deliver habitat-incentive programs, provide forestry guidance, and promote public hunting access.

Learn more here about how TRCP works in Pennsylvania.

by: Jamelle Ellis

posted in: CWD

March 6, 2025

The Science of Chronic Wasting Disease: Why Every Hunter Should Care

Addressing the silent threat to deer, elk, moose and our hunting traditions

Photo Credit: Jay Beyer | www.jaybeyer.com

Imagine sitting in your favorite deer stand at dawn, the crisp autumn air filling your lungs. You scan the tree line, waiting for a familiar sight – the graceful movement of a whitetail buck stepping into view. But what if that buck was sick? What if it showed no fear, moved erratically, or looked alarmingly thin? This is the reality of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), an often invisible but devastating threat to deer populations and the future of hunting.

What Is CWD and Why Should Hunters Care?

CWD is an always-fatal disease affecting deer, elk, and moose. It attacks the brain and nervous system, causing drastic weight loss, strange behavior, and eventual death. CWD is caused by prions – misfolded proteins that spread like a domino effect, corrupting healthy proteins. Unlike other diseases, there’s no vaccine, no cure, and no easy way to stop it. As it spreads across North America, CWD threatens not just wildlife but the hunting traditions that have been passed down for generations.

How CWD Spreads

CWD spreads in multiple ways:

Direct Transmission (Horizontal Spread) – When an infected animal comes into close contact with a healthy one, it can pass the disease through saliva, urine, feces, and even antler velvet.

Environmental Contamination (Indirect Spread) – Prions can linger in soil, water, and plants for years, infecting animals that come into contact with these contaminated areas.

Mother-to-Offspring Transmission (Vertical Spread) – There is growing evidence that infected mothers may pass CWD to their offspring, though this pathway is less common.¹

Unfortunately, human activities can worsen the problem. Moving live deer or improperly disposing of carcasses can introduce CWD into new areas, making its spread even harder to control. Where CWD has already been established, activities that artificially concentrate animals, like feeding, baiting, or mineral supplementation, can increase spread.

The Impact on Hunting and Conservation

For hunters, CWD isn’t just a wildlife disease, it’s a direct threat to our sporting traditions. Deer hunting generates billions of dollars annually for local and regional economies.² If deer populations decline, hunting opportunities shrink, and funding for conservation efforts could take a major hit.

What TRCP is Doing

The TRCP is working to slow the spread of CWD alongside the wild deer and elk hunting communities, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Fish and Wildlife Health Committee, the American Wildlife Conservation Partners CWD Work Group, and the National Deer Association’s CWD Coalition. Here’s how:

Advocacy for Funding and Research – The TRCP and our partners are working to ensure hunters have the tools they need to help protect wild deer and deer hunting, both through individual actions and through federal policy.
Education – The TRCP and our partners work together to provide hunters with science-based information on disease prevention, transmission risks, and management strategies.
Research and Surveillance Collaboration – The TRCP partners with agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state wildlife departments to improve disease detection and inform policy decisions.³

What Can Hunters Do Right Now

Hunters play a crucial role in managing CWD. Here’s how you can help:

Get harvested deer tested for CWD to help track and manage the disease.
Follow carcass transport and disposal regulations to prevent the spread of infected material.
Make informed choices about activities that artificially concentrate wild deer, like feeding, baiting, and mineral supplementation.
Stay informed and advocate for science-based CWD management to ensure policies protect both wildlife and the future of hunting.

The Road Ahead

CWD is a serious challenge, but hunters have always been the backbone of conservation in North America. By taking responsible action, supporting research, and advocating for sound policies, we can help slow the spread of this disease and preserve our hunting traditions for generations to come. The fight against CWD isn’t just about protecting deer – it’s about protecting the future of hunting itself.

You can learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease HERE

Citations

Haley, N. J., & Hoover, E. A. (2015). Chronic wasting disease of cervids: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, 3(1), 305-325. arav3Haley 305..325
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
Thompson, N. E., Huang, M. H., Christensen, S. A., & Demarais, S. (2023). Wildlife agency responses to chronic wasting disease in free‐ranging cervids. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 47(2), e1435. Wildlife agency responses to chronic wasting disease in free‐ranging cervids.

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