In December 2023, the DWR was notified by the lab that CWD had been detected in an adult buck harvested in Tazewell County roughly a month earlier. The closest prior detection to this was over 50 miles away in Pulaski County. Due to this, extensive confirmatory and forensic testing was performed to validate the laboratory results and location of harvest. Since the harvest location was located within 10 miles of adjacent counties, Disease Management Area 4 was created to include Tazewell, Smyth, & Bland counties.
If you are hunting in DMA4 this fall, please be aware of the following:
Mandatory CWD sampling will occur in DMA4 in Smyth and Tazewell counties on Saturday, November 15, 2025. All deer harvested in Smyth or Tazewell counties on this day must be taken to either a DWR staffed CWD sample station or a voluntary refrigerator drop-off station. DWR staffed sample stations will be open from 8AM to 8PM. A map of all sampling stations can be found here: CWD Testing Locations
Staffed mandatory sampling stations on November 15th, 2025:
Smyth County
- Atkins Volunteer Fire Department, 5758 Lee Hwy, Atkins, VA 24311
Tazewell County
- Richlands Farmer’s Market, 1851 Cranwell Dr, Richlands, VA 24641
- Tazewell County Fairgrounds, 135 Fieldcrest Circle, Tazewell, VA 24651
Free voluntary CWD testing is available for deer harvested at any time throughout the hunting season. 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 DMA4 tested, bring the deer head plus 4 inches of neck to a refrigerated drop site anywhere inside DMA3 or DMA4. The CWD Testing Grid Map can be used to locate CWD testing sites.
Whole deer carcasses and certain carcass parts from deer killed in DMA4 can only be legally transported within DMA3 & DMA4.
Hunting season dates, either-sex days, Earn A Buck requirements, and other deer hunting regulations for counties and cities included in DMA4 can be found in the Hunting & Trapping Regulations section of this website.