All Deer Culled in County to Be Tested for Chronic Wasting Disease

The deer-culling program in Will County has just begun, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is now requiring one additional 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 District 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, said Marcy DeMauro, forest preserve district executive director.

“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.”

Having the tests mandated will have a significant impact on the culling process that began Tuesday in , near Channahon.

Deer shot in McKinley Woods are transported to Wilmington to be field-dressed. During that process, forest preserve representatives will take tissue samples to be sent to state labs for testing, DeMauro said.

It is unclear how that will impact the planned donation of the deer meat to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

"Eerie" coincidence

DeMauro said CWD came about as a consequence of deer herds getting too large.

"To me, it's almost eerie," DeMauro said. "February 2010 is when we first said, 'We think we have a problem with deer numbers.' These are real threats to the health of the free-roaming deer herd that we have."

Although the forest preserve expected a percentage of culled deer to be tested, the notice that each one would need to have a tissue sample removed postponed the culling from Monday to Tuesday.

"DNR wanted to be there first," DeMauro said.

DeMauro doesn't expect the testing to have a financial effect on the taking place at McKinley Woods, Messanger Woods, Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve and Sand Ridge Savannah Nature Preserve.

"It's just an extra step, but I don't see it as a cost impact at all," she said.

The first site

McKinley Woods was the first site to be addressed.

"The deer-per-acre problem in McKinley Woods is significantly higher than in any other preserve," Singer said.

On the first night of the program, Singer said, two deer of the targeted 75 in McKinley Woods were killed.

While Channahon Village Board President , both Singer and DeMauro said the forest preserve hasn't heard from Channahon residents since mailing out the 27,000 letters letting residents know when culling would begin.

"We have not had any communication from a resident of Channahon expressing any concerns in response to the letters," DeMauro said.

In fact, DeMauro said, anecdotally, she has heard of residents thanking the district.

"We had several residents walk up to the officer (at the entrance to the preserve) and say, 'We're glad you're doing this,'" she said.