Dodge Co. Deer Farm Depopulated

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Dodge County deer farm that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in May 2023 has been depopulated. Of the 172 animals depopulated, 23 tested positive for the disease. In total, there were 26 positive cases of CWD at this premises, as three cervids had died prior to depopulation.

DATCP quarantined the farm in May 2023 when a 9-year-old doe tested positive for CWD. A quarantine means that no live animals or whole carcasses are permitted to leave the property. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services depopulated the herd, and samples were submitted to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for testing.

The farm owner will receive federal indemnity for the depopulated animals. The farm will not be permitted to hold cervids for five years, and during that period it must maintain fences and submit to routine inspections.

CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal’s brain, and testing for CWD is typically only performed after the animal’s death. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement, and permit requirements.