Local Deer Being Tested After Chronic Wasting Disease Appears in Nearby Counties

The deer-culling program in Will County has just begun, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is now requiring one extra step—that each deer culled be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease.

“We knew when we started in this that a percentage of deer in all culling programs have to have the test,” Forest Preserve of Will County Board President Cory Singer said.

However, in January, two additional counties had deer test positive for CWD–Kane County and Grundy County, which neighbors Will County to the west. The disease seems to only affect deer, Forest Preserve of Will County Executive Director Marcy DeMauro said.

“To our knowledge, it doesn’t have an impact on humans as long as the organs are not consumed, but they don’t know that,” she said. “(CWD) has been going on for decades and no one’s ever contracted the disease.”

Now having the tests mandated will have a significant impact on the culling process that began Tuesday in .

Deer culled in McKinley Woods are transported to Wilmington to be field-dressed. During that process, Forest Preserve representatives will take tissue samples to be sent to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for testing, DeMauro said.

It is unclear how that will impact the planned donation of the deer meat to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

"Eerie" coincidence

DeMauro said CWD came about as a consequence of deer herds getting too large.

"To me, it's almost eerie," DeMauro said. "February 2010 is when we first said, 'we think we have a problem with deer numbers.' These are real threats to the health of the free-roaming deer herd that we have."

Although the Forest Preserve expected a percentage of culled deer to be tested, the notice that each one would need to have a tissue sample removed postponed the culling. It was supposed to begin Monday, but was postponed to Tuesday.

"DNR wanted to be there first," DeMauro said.

DeMauro doesn't expect the testing to have a financial effect on the taking place at McKinley Woods, Messanger Woods, Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve and Sand Ridge Savannah Nature Preserve.

"It's just an extra step, but I don't see it as a cost impact at all," she said.

The First Site

McKinley Woods was the first site to be addressed.

"The deer-per-acre problem in McKinley Woods is significantly higher than in any other preserve," Singer said.

On the first night of the program, Singer said, two deer of the targeted 75 in McKinley Woods were culled.