Beltrami County implements feeding ban, DNR starts multi-year CWD surveillance

State and federal agencies confirmed that a 3-year-old white-tailed doe from a Beltrami County farm tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The finding has spurred a multiagency response, including herd depopulation, an investigation into illegal carcass disposal, and a DNR plan for multi-year surveillance in the heart of north central Minnesota’s deer country.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health traced the positive doe to a farmed herd that had been quarantined in October 2020 after receiving animals from a Winona County source herd. The USDA depopulated the remaining 54 animals in the herd earlier this month and submitted samples from each to the NVSL for testing. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is treating the detection as a precautionary trigger for broader action in Beltrami County.

John Williams, regional wildlife supervisor for the DNR in Bemidji, said, “other than we have another CWD area that will need to have surveillance efforts and feeding bans initiated in the coming days. We will begin a planning phase now.” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen added that the detection represents a significant geographic jump, saying, “That’s such a geographic jump in where we have seen the disease, and that now means we’re going to have to do surveillance activity up in that area surrounding that facility in Beltrami County. That’s the heart of deer country there, so it’s concerning and we want to be proactive on that.”

The Grand Forks Herald reported that testing identified 12 additional CWD-positive white-tailed deer within the infected farmed herd - five adult does and seven fawns - bringing confirmed positives at the facility to at least a dozen more animals beyond the initial detection. The Board of Animal Health called the detection “disheartening,” with Dr. Linda Glaser, assistant director, saying, “This detection is disheartening. Our investigation and tracing led us to find this positive animal. However, CWD continues to negatively impact Minnesota farmed cervid producers, and the tools we have to control this disease are so limited. The Board will work with the USDA to get this herd depopulated to stop any spread of disease from the herd.”

Inspection after quarantine uncovered that several adult deer and fawn carcasses had been moved by the owner to nearby county-managed tax-forfeit land. That discovery prompted coordinated action by the Board of Animal Health, DNR, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, tribal partners, and local officials to secure the site and mitigate potential exposure to wild deer. The Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO) has used RT-QuIC testing on carcasses and is prepared to assist with securing the dump-site, but further collection and testing depend on additional funding. Peter Larsen of MNPRO said, “This is a rapidly evolving situation. We are glad that we were able to assist our collaborators ... with RT-QuIC testing of the carcasses. Our work helps everyone respond more quickly with actions to safeguard our collective white-tailed deer resources. Identification of a positive carcass within an area that is frequented by wild white-tailed deer is highly concerning. Our MNPRO team is ready to assist with securing the dump-site to try and prevent CWD from spreading to the surrounding wild herds.”

The DNR will begin precautionary CWD surveillance in Beltrami County with this fall’s hunting season; the agency says surveillance will last at least three years. The DNR also plans to implement a deer feeding ban in Beltrami and surrounding counties before the season. CWD is fatal to deer, elk and moose, and Minnesota has documented 114 cases in wild deer since the state’s first confirmed report in 2010, underscoring the stakes for local wildlife and hunting economies.

Beltrami County residents and hunters should expect enhanced sampling, potential restrictions on carcass movement, and increased outreach from state agencies. Report sick wild deer to the DNR Bemidji regional office at (218) 732-8452. Long-term monitoring and coordination among the DNR, Board of Animal Health, USDA, MNPRO, Pollution Control Agency, and tribal governments will determine how the region adapts to this new local detection.