Game Commission reports 487 CWD positives so far, proposes allocations and continued extended seasons in select units
April 12, 2025 | Game Commission, TOURISM & RECREATION, Executive Departments, Organizations, Executive, Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Game Commission staff reported ongoing chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and a proposed set of antlerless deer license allocations intended to reduce deer populations in CWD‑affected areas.
At the April 11 meeting, staff said the commission had collected more than 12,600 CWD samples statewide to date; the lab had returned that most samples (over 12,000) were not detected, while 487 were positive. The staff presentation noted the majority of positive detections remain concentrated in the South‑Central disease‑management area but that new detections prompted several Disease Management Area (DMA) boundary adjustments and the addition of new DMAs in Luzerne‑Carbon and Wayne counties based on captive facility and harvest detections.
“Over 12,000 were not detected for CWD and 487 were positive,” the wildlife health presenter said. Staff also reported an average laboratory turnaround time of four days for hunter‑submitted head‑and‑antler samples, with a maximum turnaround of 10 days and ongoing sample submission and roadkill collections throughout the year. In Wildlife Management Unit 4A, staff reported sample prevalence from hunter‑harvested deer aged one year and older of about 42 percent, with some sample locations reporting prevalence as high as 77 percent.
Staff described ongoing research that includes a survival and cause‑specific mortality project in Bedford and Fulton counties; more than 130 deer were captured for that study this season with about 270 captured overall and 137 animals still being tracked. Staff said they have observed out‑of‑season mortalities linked to CWD and that the research will continue for another year before final results are available.
Following the surveillance update, deer‑management staff presented recommended antlerless license allocations for the 2025 season. The staff outlined a population‑objective process that ties deer population goals to harvest targets and license allocations. For units with CWD detections or units within 10 miles of detections, staff said objectives have shifted toward reducing deer numbers and that, in 2023, harvest targets were increased by roughly two antlerless deer per square mile in CWD units.
Staff reported that hunters met the elevated harvest targets in most CWD units last season; however, Units 4A, 4D and 5A did not meet their targets and the commission had offered an extended antlerless‑only firearm season in those three units in 2024. Deer‑management staff recommended continuing the extended season in those same three units in 2025 and making minor allocation adjustments to account for the success of the 2024 extended season. Across the state, staff reported an overall increase in antlerless harvest of 17 percent from the prior year.
Staff explained that allocations are calculated using prior harvest targets, recent success rates (licenses per harvest), and a harvest objective (stabilize, increase, or decrease populations). Commissioners asked about when population trends would reflect new harvest levels; staff reiterated that several years of elevated antlerless harvests are typically needed before population‑trend metrics show detectable declines.
No formal board votes were recorded during the staff briefings; staff said allocation recommendations would be included in the commission’s upcoming regulatory actions and that CWD boundary changes will be finalized via executive orders and posted in the digest as required.
At the April 11 meeting, staff said the commission had collected more than 12,600 CWD samples statewide to date; the lab had returned that most samples (over 12,000) were not detected, while 487 were positive. The staff presentation noted the majority of positive detections remain concentrated in the South‑Central disease‑management area but that new detections prompted several Disease Management Area (DMA) boundary adjustments and the addition of new DMAs in Luzerne‑Carbon and Wayne counties based on captive facility and harvest detections.
“Over 12,000 were not detected for CWD and 487 were positive,” the wildlife health presenter said. Staff also reported an average laboratory turnaround time of four days for hunter‑submitted head‑and‑antler samples, with a maximum turnaround of 10 days and ongoing sample submission and roadkill collections throughout the year. In Wildlife Management Unit 4A, staff reported sample prevalence from hunter‑harvested deer aged one year and older of about 42 percent, with some sample locations reporting prevalence as high as 77 percent.
Staff described ongoing research that includes a survival and cause‑specific mortality project in Bedford and Fulton counties; more than 130 deer were captured for that study this season with about 270 captured overall and 137 animals still being tracked. Staff said they have observed out‑of‑season mortalities linked to CWD and that the research will continue for another year before final results are available.
Following the surveillance update, deer‑management staff presented recommended antlerless license allocations for the 2025 season. The staff outlined a population‑objective process that ties deer population goals to harvest targets and license allocations. For units with CWD detections or units within 10 miles of detections, staff said objectives have shifted toward reducing deer numbers and that, in 2023, harvest targets were increased by roughly two antlerless deer per square mile in CWD units.
Staff reported that hunters met the elevated harvest targets in most CWD units last season; however, Units 4A, 4D and 5A did not meet their targets and the commission had offered an extended antlerless‑only firearm season in those three units in 2024. Deer‑management staff recommended continuing the extended season in those same three units in 2025 and making minor allocation adjustments to account for the success of the 2024 extended season. Across the state, staff reported an overall increase in antlerless harvest of 17 percent from the prior year.
Staff explained that allocations are calculated using prior harvest targets, recent success rates (licenses per harvest), and a harvest objective (stabilize, increase, or decrease populations). Commissioners asked about when population trends would reflect new harvest levels; staff reiterated that several years of elevated antlerless harvests are typically needed before population‑trend metrics show detectable declines.
No formal board votes were recorded during the staff briefings; staff said allocation recommendations would be included in the commission’s upcoming regulatory actions and that CWD boundary changes will be finalized via executive orders and posted in the digest as required.
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