Deer Season: Hunting & CWD- Reflections from our Family's Montana Hunting Season | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

posted in: CWD

December 22, 2025

Deer Season: Hunting & CWD- Reflections from our Family’s Montana Hunting Season

A season-long reflection from TRCP’s Ryan Chapin on family, tradition, and stewardship during a Montana hunting season

Across the country, deer season looks a little different than it did a generation ago. In Ryan Chapin’s first installment in TRCP’s Deer Season: Hunting & CWD series (Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Hunting Journal Found and New Hunters in the Making), Chapin reflected on how hunting traditions are passed on and how responsibility now comes with every tag filled. His second installment from Montana builds on that theme, offering another family’s perspective on how Chronic Wasting Disease has become part of modern hunting seasons, shaping preparation, harvest decisions, and the way hunters contribute to wildlife conservation while keeping time-honored traditions strong

Now that the 2025 big game season is in the rearview mirror and our freezers are full, I’ve had some time to reflect as my mind categorizes the many moments that make up an entire season. The memories replay vividly like daydreams, but I smile inwardly knowing that these memories are real and now a part of all who participated.

There’s the memory of canoeing with my son and brother at night back to camp while stars hung bright above and elk bugles echoed off glassy water, or the memory of watching my wife and son work together to find her second ever mule deer buck in the rifle’s scope before she could make the shot. I still laugh when I recount her words, “I only see a little black circle filled with grass and no buck, what the heck!” Then there’s the memory of my two bird dogs, in sled dog harnesses to “Dog-assist” me and a mountain bike four miles up a steep grade where I harvested a whitetail buck, there’s a memory of my son and I talking quietly together as the sun set while we sat on a mountain top, and finally, the surreal memory of our whole family, my brother’s family, and our collective three dogs all working together as our daughter Ella harvested her first elk. Taken as a whole, these moments are gifts etched into my memory adding a sense of gratitude for the ever-fleeting time we all spend together during the fall hunting season.

CWD Best Practices in Action

To an extent, CWD shaped each of our hunts this year, not as a barrier but as part of the tasks and responsibilities of the season. Before the season we checked FWP’s latest updates and mapped out the units where testing was required, which did not include any of the units we hunted. Nonetheless, we still carried sample kits alongside knives and game bags, and we made a habit of taking lymph node samples as soon as an animal was down. We made a point to turn it into a fun, shared experience – much like we did with Ella’s first elk. We processed Ella’s elk around a large warming fire and the kids helped identify and cut out the lymph nodes while the adults discussed how testing informs biologists and ultimately helps protect the herd. All our deer tests came back negative, but Ella’s elk results are still pending. Implementing best management practices is one way my family and I can contribute to the science database and is one more way we honor the animals that we hunt and eat.

Reflections

Looking back at the highs; the bugling elk, Kate’s mule deer success, the dogs and our bikejoring whitetail, time on the mountain with Quinn, Ella’s “family” elk, and all the other moments in between, I’m struck by how hunting has evolved for our family. These are the same moments I’ve tried to capture in my hunting journals and shared in the first installment of this series – moments defined by family, effort, and time afield. It is no longer only about filling tags, as it once was for me. Now, tags are still filled, but we also practice care, teach the next generation, and adapt to ensure that these traditions endure.

As I look to next season, I’m hopeful. The hope is that our kids, and their kids, will someday stand in these same forests and climb these same ridges, where their own memories will layer on top of mine to close out their own fleeting, yet sugar-sweet hunting seasons. In the meantime, it’s on all of us to carry the many responsibilities that are stitched into each season by doing our part now to ensure that future generations have the same or even greater opportunities. Someday, I hope those future seasons are captured in my kids own hunting journals, carrying forward not just the stories of the hunt, but the knowledge, care, and responsibility that will keep these traditions strong.

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

December 18, 2025

Deer Season: Hunting & CWD — Reflections from a Pennsylvania Deer Season

A season-long reflection from TRCP’s Jim Kauffman on hunting Pennsylvania and doing our part to help manage chronic wasting disease.

In Jim Kauffman’s first Pennsylvania installment in TRCP’s Deer Season: Hunting & CWD series (Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: Prepping for the Pennsylvania Season), the focus was on preparation—scouting, planning, and understanding the steps hunters can take before the season begins to help curb the spread of chronic wasting disease. But responsibility doesn’t end when the season opens. As the weeks unfold and tags are filled—or go unpunched—hunters make decisions in real time that directly affect herd health, hunting traditions, and the future of deer hunting itself. Jim’s second installment follows a Pennsylvania season from early archery through rifle, showing what it looks like to balance time-honored deer camp traditions with the everyday choices that help support and protect healthy deer herds.

I missed. I stood there dumbfounded as the buck slowly meandered away. For four straight days I sat in that same tree, without seeing a single deer. But my preseason scouting convinced me that a buck would show if I hung in there. And when he did, I blew it. My arrow deflected off a small twig and embedded itself within the shallow Pocono mountain soil just underneath the deer. In the big woods of Pennsylvania’s public lands, opportunities at mature buck are fleeting, so when the time comes, execution is paramount. I would not sleep much that night back at camp, but I was thankful that my errant arrow cleanly missed. Moments like that are part of every deer season – but what happens before and after those moments matters just as much for the health of the herd and the future of our deer hunting tradition.

Early Archery Season

As it often does, archery season in Pennsylvania started off warm. To shake off the rust I began the season hunting a small private parcel close to home, hoping to fill my local doe tags. As luck would have it, the deer were moving in the evenings despite the heat. I was fortunate to take two mature doe early in the season, ensuring a good start to filling our freezers. I enjoyed the spoils of fresh deer steaks on the grill, making sure to share some venison with my friends that graciously allowed me to hunt their property.

The Rut

With the progression of deer seasons, the decisions that hunters like us make – where to hunt, what to harvest, and how to handle animals afterward – remains important. As I shifted between regions, I continued to consult PGC CWD guidelines to ensure I was prepared for proper carcass handling in the event of a successful hunt.

As the whitetail rut approached, I headed to the Poconos to spend my typical deer and bear archery week climbing trees on public land. Acorns were prevalent, and deer were on the move-they were just moving everywhere that I wasn’t. After a few days, I settled on a location where I would ride out the week, feeling good that the sign and topography would produce a buck within bow range. And after four days in that tree, I got my opportunity. But thanks to that one small twig, my hopes of taking a good buck on public land with the bow were quickly dashed.

Throughout the remainder of the archery season I spent time between my friend’s local private parcel and our hunting camp in the northern tier. Although I was unsuccessful, I did have opportunities at some smaller bucks that I decided to pass, and we had two guests at our camp take nice bucks with the bow. The inclusion of Sunday hunting throughout archery season enhanced our trips to camp, allowing us to do more hunting during a quick weekend trip. And fresh venison on the camp skillet certainly added value to the experience. Because CWD has not yet been detected in some areas of Pennsylvania, it is still possible to enjoy a fresh venison meal before waiting for test results-although the risk of eating CWD positive meat still remains. This reality underscores the importance of staying informed about evolving CWD science, testing guidance, and Disease Management Areas. As CWD spreads into new areas of the state, the experience of cooking fresh venison and the value associated with this time-honored tradition could be lost.

Sika Camp

Traveling to hunt comes with added responsibility, especially when it comes to preventing the spread of CWD across state lines.

In early November, I joined some friends to hunt sika deer on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Before I headed south, I consulted the guidelines for transport of cervid parts into Pennsylvania and reviewed Maryland’s regulations. To deter further CWD introductions, Pennsylvania prohibits the importation of high risk cervid parts from other states and provinces, unless the animal goes directly to a Game Commission approved cooperator. As a result, I developed a plan to adhere to these regulations if I were to take a sika during our hunt. As luck would have it, I was fortunate enough to take a mature stag with the bow after two days in the marsh. I located a PGC-approved cooperator close to my home and dropped off the head to be processed for a European mount. And because CWD has not yet been detected in Dorchester County, we were able to enjoy some fresh sika steaks at camp-and they were as good as advertised.

Rifle Season

With rifle season on the horizon, we headed north to hunting camp, a rite of passage for many Pennsylvania hunters. The public lands of Pennsylvania’s northern tier are wild and rugged, dotted with historic hunting camps-many of which have stood for over a century. Deer camp is a time-honored tradition that we look forward to each year. The hunting is hard, but that’s what makes it rewarding.

Much of northern Pennsylvania received a blanket of snow prior to the season and we had seen some good bucks during bear season-so we were excited to get back up to camp. Unfortunately, luck was not with us. We had seven hunters in camp and could not even see a single deer between our group. After four days of braving cold, snowy, ‘deer-less’ sidehills, we decided to break camp and head home. Thus is the challenge of hunting Pennsylvania’s big woods public land.

Upon returning home I shifted gears to prepare for a hunt on local public lands that I had scouted earlier in the fall. The habitat looked good, deer sign was plentiful, and my cameras showed some good buck cruising during the rut. Temperatures continued to fall and snow began to accumulate, creating great deer hunting conditions. After an exciting morning hunt, I caught up to nice 8-pointer that I was fortunate to connect on. Unfortunately, I was over two miles from the truck, so it would be a long extraction. After resting my legs, I removed the antlers and bagged the head to drop him off at a CWD headbin testing site. Despite being outside of a DMA, I wanted to ensure that I was doing my part to contribute to CWD surveillance and avoid consuming CWD-infected meat. With a successful hunt, my attention shifted from opportunity to responsibility, making sure my actions supported CWD surveillance and the long-term health of the herd. I chose to wait to consume the meat until test results were available – a simple step we can all take that helps protect hunters, families, and healthy deer populations.

As the rifle season waned, I joined a couple small crews in an effort to push deer to friends and family. Our public land drives didn’t yield any kills, but we had some action and saw some beautiful country. On the last day of the season, I had the opportunity to push a private farm in hopes that some friends would fill their doe tags. And as luck would have it, a father and son in our crew would both harvest doe that day-a pretty special way to end the season.

The conclusion of deer season is always bittersweet. We look back at the miles, the memories, and the heartbreaks with fondness, storing photographs and stories for the deer camps to come. We wait all year for it to arrive, and just like that, it’s over. Some seasons are better than others, but each is unique and memorable if you focus on what really matters.

The value of deer hunting lies in the experience as a whole. The forests, the game, the friends and family, the photos, the stories, and the meals that these animals provide. When you remove any piece of that puzzle, you lose the total value of the experience.

If CWD continues to spread and prevalence rates increase, we run the risk of losing the opportunity to hunt robust, healthy deer herds and enjoy the fruits of our labor with some incredible fresh table fare. By being proactive as hunters, we have the opportunity to help manage this disease by following PGC recommendations that prevent further spread and aid in detection. Adhering to these guidelines will ensure that we don’t lose the deer that we so passionately pursue, but we retain the parts that matter just as much-the stories, the laughs, and the time spent afield with friends and family.

That balance – between tradition and responsibility – is at the heart of sustaining deer hunting for the long-term. Protecting healthy deer herds requires hunters to stay engaged beyond the shot, whether that means following transport rules, participating in testing, or sharing best practices with others at camp and at home. By taking these steps, hunters help ensure that the experiences, meals, memories, and stories that define deer season remain part of our lives for generations to come. It’s how we safeguard not only the deer we pursue, but the quality places to hunt and the traditions that make the season matter in the first place.

Deer Season – Hunting and CWD.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: CWD

December 2, 2025

Deer Season: Hunting & CWD – A Mid-Season Check-In

The hunt isn’t over – and neither are the stories.

As deer seasons unfold across the country, the first chapters of TRCP’s Deer Season – Hunting & CWD series have taken us from the hardwoods of Pennsylvania to the farmland and forests of Minnesota and into the wide-open landscapes of Montana. Through personal stories from the field, our staff hunters are exploring what it looks like to balance longstanding traditions with the evolving realities of Chronic Wasting Disease – and why everyday hunters play such a critical role in keeping deer herds healthy.

Together, these early-season stories highlight a shared theme: responsible hunting practices, informed by science and rooted in tradition, are essential to sustaining deer hunting for future generations.

Pennsylvania: Preparing for the Season with Purpose

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: Prepping for the Pennsylvania Season by Jim Kauffman, TRCP’s Pennsylvania field representative and wildlife health coordinator

Jim Kauffman’s preseason story from Pennsylvania focuses on preparation—both practical and personal. From reviewing updated CWD regulations to understanding disease management zones and carcass movement rules, Jim highlights how staying informed has become an essential part of modern deer hunting. His reflections reinforce the idea that preparation doesn’t start on opening day; it begins long before hunters’ step into the woods.

Read Jim’s Pennsylvania preseason story HERE

“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.”
Jim Kauffman, TRCP’s Pennsylvania field representative and wildlife health coordinator

Minnesota: Passing Down Traditions – and Responsibility

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Season of Firsts in Minnesota by Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation

In Minnesota, Aaron Field shares a preseason perspective rooted in family tradition, including guiding a young hunter and hunting close to home in a new CWD zone. His story illustrates how learning about CWD best practices is no longer separate from passing on hunting traditions – it’s part of the lesson. From discussions around the kitchen table to planning how and where venison will be processed, these moments help shape the next generation of responsible hunters.

Read Aaron’s Minnesota story HERE.

“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.”
Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation

Montana: Mentorship in Big Country

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Hunting Journal Found and New Hunters in the Making by Ryan Chapin, TRCP’s Montana field manager

Ryan Chapin’s Montana story brings readers west, where wide-open landscapes meet the responsibility of mentorship. His reflections connect a rediscovered hunting journal from his youth with the experience of mentoring new hunters today. Ryan highlights how introducing new hunters to the field now includes conversations about CWD testing, regulations, and why these steps matter. His story reminds us that mentorship is about more than success in the field – it’s about ensuring hunting remains sustainable and grounded in stewardship.

Read Ryan’s Montana story HERE.

“Tomorrow, my daughter Ella, her friend Addie and I will join our friends in setting the annual Youth Deer Hunting camp on Rock Creek…”
Ryan Chapin, TRCP’s Montana field manager

Mid-Season Takeaways for Hunters Still in the Field

Scientific research continues to show that informed and responsible hunter behavior plays an important role in managing CWD risks. As seasons continue, hunters can make a difference by:

Staying current on state-specific regulations and CWD management areas

Participating in testing programs when available

Following best practices for carcass handling, transport, and disposal

Sharing information with fellow hunters at camp, at the processor, and in the field

For additional guidance, visit TRCP’s CWD resources page

What’s Next in the Series

The hunt isn’t over – and neither are the stories. Coming up next are post-season reflections from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Montana. These upcoming blogs will explore lessons learned in the field, experiences with testing and processing, and what this season reinforced about the future of deer hunting.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.” We invite you to read the first three stories, apply what you’ve learned this season, and follow along as the full Deer Season – Hunting & CWD series continues.

Continue the Series

Catch up on the Deer Season – Hunting & CWD posts HERE

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

by: Ryan Chapin

posted in: CWD

November 13, 2025

Deer Season – Hunting & CWD: A Hunting Journal Found and New Hunters in the Making

From handwritten memories to new milestones afield – TRCP’s Ryan Chapin reflects on passing on the hunt while staying informed and committed to good CWD stewardship in Montana.

In Montana, the Youth-Only Deer Season marks the start of big game hunting for many families. Public schools close for teacher-in-service days, giving kids ages 10 to 15 the first crack at harvesting deer with a firearm. This camp has become a rite of passage for our kids and some of their friends, and a tradition that we all look forward to.

While preparing for this year’s camp, I unexpectedly found a hunting journal that I started years ago when I was a youth hunter myself in my home state of Ohio. At the garage work bench, I turned on a light and opened the binder’s Velcro clasp and flipped through my handwritten notes and sketches.

I read one of the entries: “September 5, 1994 – Tomorrow Dad, Austin and I will set a stand at Bickley’s in the corner near the apple trees…”

These memories reminded me of how deeply rooted this tradition is for me and how pleased I am now to be passing it along to our kids and their friends.

Using the same pencil that I hadn’t touched for over 31 years, I wrote:

“October 14, 2025 – Tomorrow, my daughter Ella, her friend Addie and I will join our friends in setting the annual Youth Deer Hunting camp on Rock Creek…”

While setting up camp the next day, I thought of how much of hunting is the same as when I was a kid; lanterns still whisper, and wood stoves still cast warm flickers of light. I also thought about how hunting has changed since my childhood. Today’s hunters come equipped with range finders, digital phone maps, boots that are actually waterproof, and CWD sample kits from local game and fish offices.

Still, the hum of the modern hunting season carries a new awareness. Chronic wasting disease looms in conversations and decisions alike, reminding us that stewardship means more than just taking a clean shot – it means staying informed, testing our harvests, and helping safeguard the future of the hunt.

After camp was set, we planned out the hunt while roasting hot dogs over an open fire. Over the next several days, each group would take a different location to maximize the girl’s chances of success. Our group hummed with excitement, and I thought about how nice it was to be back here along the creek among friends, family and the towering ponderosa pine.

In the early morning dark, Addie, Ella and I went out on the big ridge to where the cliff overlooks the creek bottom. Addie, who’s joined the camp for years as a non-hunting companion, just recently took hunter’s safety and honed her shooting skills with us at the range. Ella and I admired her determination, her sharp eye for spotting animals, and her interest in becoming a hunter; we were keen on helping her get her first deer. We settled into the rocks and waited for the sun to rise.

Not long after shooting light, Addie tapped Ella on the shoulder and tugged on my coat’s hood to get our attention.

“There are two deer below us in the rocks by the river,” Addie whispered while pointing straight ahead and down.

Ella nor I could see the deer until their tails flickered white and moved away before a shot could be set up. We were impressed with Addie’s keen eye; while also a bit embarrassed that we couldn’t see the deer ourselves.

Over the next hour, Addie followed the same routine two more times, seeing and pointing out deer unseen by Ella or me. I rubbed my eyes, gave Ella a concerned look and whispered to Addie.

“The next deer you see, just get it in your scope fast and don’t worry about showing us!”

Before we knew it Addie was at it again, but this time she pivoted her body and the rifle to the left. Immediately we saw the deer coming our way along the creek bottom. Ella ranged the deer at 160 yards, and I helped Addie switch the rifle’s safety to fire and increase the magnification of the scope. Addie focused in and her shot was good. The deer collapsed on the spot. She rolled away from the rifle and grinned. Ella was there with high-fives and praise for a job well done.

We gathered our gear and walked down off the cliff following the water to where the dead deer lay in the tall grass. Addie punched her tag, and we got out knives. We could see the other hunters coming our way as they must have heard the shot.

Addie asked, “Ryan, do we have to leave the brains and spine behind like we did in Eastern Montana?” Referring to a guideline that applied at one time to certain hunting districts in Montana.

“Not here Addie, we will drag the deer out whole and dispose of the carcass. Also, we will take a lymph node sample and make sure your deer tests negative for CWD before cooking burgers and steaks, how does that sound?”

Addie nodded and explained that she learned about carcass disposal in her recent hunter’s safety class.

The rest of the girls arrived and rallied around her. They helped with the field dressing, offered congratulations, and worked together to drag the deer out to the road. It was satisfying to see young hunters supporting one another and seeing in real time one of human’s oldest skills being passed to another generation.

During the rest of our time at deer camp, Ella and Ava each also harvested deer and were supported by their friends with the same encouragement and camaraderie. As we packed up and headed home, I was pleased with how my relationship with hunting has evolved. From scribbling notes in my first hunting journal to watching a new generation carry the tradition forward. As we left camp, I felt a quiet responsibility settle in; the kind that comes with knowing our tradition is alive, and that it’s ours to pass on.

As we unpacked gear back home, I thought about how much I’ve learned since those early journal entries – less about taking deer and more about taking care. Each season, I study the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunting regulations booklet and CWD updates before heading out, check which units require sampling, and make sure our family has fresh sample kits and knows the rules for carcass transport and disposal. On the lands we hunt – from the river bottoms to the timbered ridges – I’ve come to see these steps not as burdens, but as part of the hunt itself: another way to respect the resource and the places that give us so much. Staying informed, testing our deer, and cleaning our gear are small acts that help ensure these same camps, lanterns, and early mornings remain part of the next generation’s hunting stories.

When the season ends and the freezers are (hopefully) full, I’ll take a quiet moment to look back on what we learned about the deer, the land, and ourselves, and just maybe, I’ll keep that old journal close by and start writing in it again.

Deer Season – Hunting and CWD.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.

by: Aaron Field

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.

Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease here.