An official website of the State of Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has confirmed that a hunter-harvested deer sampled for routine surveillance in Lanier County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the first case of CWD detected in Georgia.
Public information sessions have been scheduled to provide an opportunity for area residents to learn about CWD and ask questions related to DNR’s response.
Information Sessions are scheduled Feb. 4-8, 2025:
- Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.: Cook County Extension Service Office (206 East 9th Street, Adel, GA 31620).
- Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.: Virtual (WRD Facebook Page)
- Feb. 8 at 10 a.m.: Lanier County High School Auditorium (52 West Patten Ave., Lakeland, GA 31635)
- Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.: Lowndes County Historic Courthouse (100 East Central Ave., Valdosta, GA 31601)
The DNR CWD Response Plan is currently in effect and a CWD Management Area is established. The CWD Management Area includes the county where the positive sample was found and any county that touches a 5-mile radius around the location of the positive sample. The current CWD Management Area includes Lanier and Berrien counties.
DNR is working with landowners, managers and hunters in the immediate area (one mile radius around the positive location) to determine the geographic extent and prevalence rate in that Management Area (i.e., how far it has spread and what percent of deer have CWD).
Hunter Resources
Management
- New! Georgia Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
- Current Deer Management Plan, 2015–2024
- Deer Management Plan 2005–2014
- Urban Deer Management Plan 2005–2014
- Controlling Deer Damage
- DNR Deer Restocking 1928–1974
Research & Disease Information
- Opinions and Attitudes of Georgia Residents, Hunters and Landowners toward Deer Management in Georgia
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Deer
