The DWR confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Virginia for the first time in Frederick County in 2009. Disease Management Area 1 (DMA1), formerly known as the Containment Area, was created in response to this initial CWD detection. DMA1 includes Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties.
If you are hunting in DMA1 this fall, please be aware of the following:
Mandatory CWD sampling will occur in DMA1 in Shenandoah County on Saturday, November 16, 2024. All deer harvested in Shenandoah County on this day must be taken to either a DWR staffed CWD sample station (Larkin’s Store: 19004 Senedo Rd, Edinburg or Woodbine Farms and Market Inc: 5199 John Marshall Hwy, Strasburg) or a voluntary refrigerator drop-off station. DWR staffed sample stations will be open from 8AM to 7PM.
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 the DMA. The CWD Testing Grid Map can be used to locate CWD testing sites.
Whole deer carcasses and certain carcass parts from deer killed in DMA1 cannot be legally transported anywhere else in VA outside of the DMA1 boundary.
Hunting season dates, either-sex days, Earn A Buck requirements, and other deer hunting regulations for counties and cities included in DMA1 can be found in the Hunting & Trapping Regulations section of this website.