Local Deer Being Tested for Chronic Wasting Disease

Will County officials are now testing the deer culled from the forest preserves for Chronic Wasting Disease, according to our friends over at Channahon-Minooka Patch. Dawn Aulet reports:

The deer-culling program in Will County has just begun, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is now requiring one extra step—that each deer culled be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease.

“We knew when we started in this that a percentage of deer in all culling programs have to have the test,” Forest Preserve of Will County Board President Cory Singer said.

However, in January, two additional counties had deer test positive for CWD–Kane County and Grundy County, which neighbors Will County to the west. The disease seems to only affect deer, Forest Preserve of Will County Executive Director Marcy DeMauro said.

“To our knowledge, it doesn’t have an impact on humans as long as the organs are not consumed, but they don’t know that,” she said. “(CWD) has been going on for decades and no one’s ever contracted the disease.”

Now having the tests mandated will have a significant impact on the culling process that began Tuesday in .

Are you a hunter? Deer lover? .