With hunting season in full swing, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is encouraging hunters to stay aware of their surrounding and laws in effect.

Recently, TWRA announced that charges have been placed on four hunters who transported deer carcasses from Virginia – a state with the confirmed presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The report issued from agency indicated that the hunters brought the entire deer carcasses into Tennessee and had not been properly prepared by state law.

According to information provided by TWRA, Carter County Wildlife Officers Dennis Ward and John Ripley charged the hunters due to the deer bodies being transported across stateline on two separate days, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18.

Matthew Cameron, TWRA Region 4 Information and Education coordinator, stated that Virginia is a state that had confirmed the presence of CWD in 2009. Last year, only portions of the state where CWD had been detected were banned, but 2017-18 has importation restrictions applicable across the entire state.

CWD is a fast-spreading, neurological disease deer, elk and moose. The disease’s informational website states that CWD “causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.”

Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and moose are reportedly the only four species susceptible to CWD.

TWRA has placed importation restrictions for cervids, including deer, moose and elk carcasses from any that that has a positive case of CWD to prevent it from reaching the state.

Carcasses and other cervid parts from CWD-positive states that may be brought into or possessed in the state, according to Cameron, include:

• Meat that has bones removed
• Antlers, antlers attached to clean skull plates or cleaned skulls
• Cleaned teeth
• Finished taxidermy, hides and tanned products.

Visit www.tnwildlife.org to learn more information about the hunting season and CWD-affected states across North America. Virginia, Missouri and Arkansas are three states bordering Tennessee that are affected by the importation law.