CWD sampling required this weekend in Audrain, Callaway and Montgomery counties

Mid-Missouri deer hunters in Audrain, Callaway and Montgomery counties must complete mandatory chronic wasting disease sampling this weekend.

Deer harvested on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15, in those counties will need to be taken to a CWD sampling location. This coincides with the opening weekend of the November portion of the firearms deer season.

Testing efforts help catch and track the contagious, deadly brain disease that affects white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. The pathogen has infected about 1% of Missouri's approximately 1.5 million white-tailed deer.

"Hunters play an important role in helping MDC monitor the disease and the health of Missouri's deer herd," the Missouri Department of Conservation wrote on its website.

Mandatory CWD sampling has moved to a four-year county rotation, meaning it will now be conducted in each county within the state once over the next four years.

In previous years, all deer collected in counties where CWD was detected had to be tested, but that didn't stop the disease from spreading across the state.

The change means one-fourth of Missouri counties will test every year, but this also means each county is only required to test once in a four-year span.

Voluntary sampling locations are also available in many mid-Missouri counties. This is offered to hunters who harvest deer in any county at any time during Missouri's deer hunting seasons.

For mandatory sampling locations, see below:

Audrain County: Mexico High School, 639 Wade Street in Mexico Little Dixie Fire Station, 13998 Highway T outside of Centralia Callaway County: Whetstone Creek Conservation Area, 3215 County Road 1003 in Williamsburg New Bloomfield school bus lot, 314 Redwood Drive in New Bloomfield Mokane Lions Club Park, 301 River Street in Mokane North Callaway High School, 2700 Thunderbird Drive in Kingdom City Montgomery County: Middletown Fire Department, 211 Johnson Street in Middletown Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 700 South Sturgeon Street in Montgomery City Stiers Memorial Park, 201 Main Street in Rhineland Voluntary sampling locations include:

Audrain County Reading Farms USA, 2135 East Liberty Street in Mexico (freezer) Boone County MDC Central Regional Office, 3500 East Gans Road in Columbia (freezer and office) K.P. Processing, 4190 Highway 124 West in Harrisburg Callaway County Hanson Hills Campground, 3643 County Road 221 in Fulton Woodland Wonders Taxidermy, 1446 Jade Road in Columbia Horns Butcher Shop LLC, 3345 County Road 318 in Fulton Callaway County Emergency Management Building, 4950 County Road 304 in Fulton (freezer) Camden County MDC Camdenton Office, 783 Thunder Mountain Road in Camdenton K and K Meat Processing, 364 Phillipsburg Lane in Richland Cole County Conservation Headquarters, 2901 West Truman Boulevard in Jefferson City (freezer and office) Gasconade County MFA Hermann, 191 Missouri 100 in Hermann (freezer) Old Dutch, 1988 U.S. 50 in Owensville (freezer) Grellner Taxidermy LLC, 1745 Bem Church Road in Owensville Howard County KP Processing, 4190 Missouri 124 in Harrisburg MFA Fayette, 111 Armstrong Street in Fayette (freezer) Maries County Maries County SWCD Office, 1001 Vienna Rolla Road in Vienna (freezer) Miller County Smokin Bladez Custom Butchering LLC, 257 Foote Lane Road in Eldon Moniteau County K & R Butchering LLC, 37122 Bethel Church Road in Fortuna Schlup's Cedar Ridge Taxidermy, 32959 Highway K in California Montgomery County Montgomery City, 1114 North Sturgeon Street in Montgomery City (freezer) Jacob Peak's Taxidermy, 116 Sharon Drive in Montgomery City Morgan County Moreau Fire Protection District, 21705 Highway 52 in Barnett (freezer) Mark's Meat Processing, 17732 Highway K in Versailles Osage County

Timber Ridge, 136 Plum Lane in Linn Rich Fountain, 1426 Highway E in Rich Fountain (freezer) Scheulen Processing LLC, 1968 County Road 602 in Loose Creek Saline County

Blind Pony Hatchery, 16285 BP Hatchery Drive in Sweet Springs (freezer) Morton’s Wildlife Processing, 1231 Grandview in Slater Hunters using self-service freezers will need to remove the deer's head in advance so it can be left in the freezer. They will also need to leave personal information and a record of where the deer was harvested.

For a full list of requirements, see the Missouri Conservation Department's website.

The department reported almost 12,000 deer were harvested during the youth portion of the firearms deer hunting season on Oct. 24 and 25.

CWD sampling required this weekend in Audrain, Callaway and Montgomery counties

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