In 2018, the DWR confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a buck legally harvested in Culpeper County. The following hunting season, CWD was detected in a buck harvested in Fauquier County, and Disease Management Area 2 (DMA2) was created. The DMA has since expanded as cases have been found in or close to new counties. Most recently, a CWD positive buck was harvested in Fairfax County in 2022 and DMA2 now includes Arlington, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, Page, Orange, Prince William, and Rappahannock counties. Despite the large size of the DMA, the prevalence of CWD remains low in all affected DMA2 counties.
If you are hunting in DMA2 this fall, please be aware of the following:
There are no mandatory testing requirements in DMA2 during the 2024-2025 hunting season. The mandatory testing requirements on November 16th, 2024 do not apply to DMA2.
Free voluntary CWD testing is available for deer harvested at any time throughout the hunting season. Hunting in a DMA does not guarantee that you will harvest a CWD-positive deer but it does make it more likely when compared to hunting elsewhere in Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all deer harvested from areas known to be affected by CWD be tested prior to consumption. If you would like to get a deer harvested in DMA1 tested, bring the deer head plus 4 inches of neck to a refrigerated drop site anywhere inside DMA1 or DMA2. The CWD Testing Grid Map can be used to locate CWD testing sites.
Whole deer carcasses and carcass parts containing brain and spinal cord tissue from deer killed in DMA2 can be transported only within DMA1 and DMA2.
Hunting season dates, either-sex days, Earn A Buck requirements, and other deer hunting regulations for counties and cities included in DMA2 can be found in the Hunting & Trapping Regulations section of this website.