Chippewa Valley CWD

A CWD-positive wild deer was first discovered in southwest Eau Claire County in March of 2018. Since then, additional CWD-positive wild deer have been detected in Eau Claire, Dunn and Buffalo counties. This page serves as a summary of the status of CWD in those counties, along with information on current CWD monitoring efforts.

CWD Sampling Results for the 2022-2023 Season

For a full report on CWD sampling efforts for current and past years, see CWD sampling results.

• Eau Claire County CWD Sampling Summary
  • Eau Claire County had two deer test positive for CWD during the 2022-2023 season. One was a hunter-harvested deer, and the other was an adult doe that was displaying classic signs and symptoms of end-stage CWD. Both deer were in Brunswick Township.
• Dunn County CWD Sampling Summary
  • Dunn County had one deer test positive for CWD during the 2022-2023 season. It was a hunter-harvested 2-year-old buck. In total, 5 deer have tested positive for CWD in Dunn County since 2019. 
• Buffalo County CWD Sampling Summary
  • During the 2022-23 deer hunting season, 3 adults tested positive for CWD. In addition, in February of 2023, an adult buck that was exhibiting the symptoms of end-stage CWD was reported to local DNR staff and tested positive for CWD. In total, 4 wild deer have tested positive for CWD in Buffalo County.

CWD Surveillance Permits

CWD surveillance permits are available to landowners in areas surrounding recently detected CWD-positive wild deer. The purpose of these permits is to increase the number of deer tested for CWD in those localized areas. The permits are for adult deer. CWD testing is mandatory for all deer harvested under the authority of these permits.

Eau Claire County CWD Surveillance Permit Details & Maps

CWD surveillance permits will be available in the Eau Claire surveillance area beginning Sept. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Permits are valid for adult deer (buck or doe) and allow harvest utilizing any method legal for deer hunting in Wisconsin (bow, crossbow, gun or muzzleloader) with the possession of a valid hunting license.

Surveillance permits will also be valid in the Fairchild Surveillance area on both private and public lands. Private land surveillance tags will be valid from Sept. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and allow the harvest of adult deer (buck or doe) utilizing any method legal for deer hunting in Wisconsin (bow, crossbow, gun or muzzleloader) with the possession of a valid hunting license. Public land tags will be weapon specific for the open season. They will be valid for one adult deer (buck or doe) except during the antlerless-only season when only antlerless deer may be harvested. Tags will only be valid during regular hunting seasons. 100 tags will be available beginning Sept. 1, 2023, and issued on a first-come, first-served basis. 

If you are interested in surveillance permits in Eau Claire County, contact Kelsey Musser, DNR wildlife biologist at 715-492-1972 or KelseyM.Musser@wisconsin.gov.

Dunn County CWD Surveillance Permit Details & Map

CWD surveillance permits will be available in the Dunn County surveillance area beginning Sept. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Permits are valid for adult deer (buck or doe), and allow harvest utilizing any method legal for deer hunting in Wisconsin (bow, crossbow, gun or muzzleloader) with the possession of a valid hunting license. 

If you interested in surveillance permits in Dunn County, contact Kelsey Musser, DNR wildlife biologist at 715-492-1972 or KelseyM.Musser@wisconsin.gov.

Buffalo County CWD Surveillance Permit Details & Map

CWD surveillance permits will not be available in Buffalo County during the 2023 deer seasons. If we are unable to reach our CWD sampling objectives during the 2023 season, then surveillance permits will be considered in future seasons to help meet those objectives.

If you have questions about CWD in Buffalo County, contact Mark Rasmussen, DNR wildlife biologist at 608-418-0259 or MarkA.Rasmussen@wisconsin.gov.