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.

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.