The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division created a quiz to help people learn how to tell when a deer is sick.
Chronic wasting disease has been found in the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. It’s a contagious, neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. It causes a degeneration of the brain and will lead to emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.
Recommended Videos
Once an animal is infected, it will not recover. There is no cure for chronic wasting disease. It is transmitted through direct animal-to-animal contact or by contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood, parts of an infected animal or infected soil. The protein that causes CWD is called a prion and they are extremely resistant in the environment and can stay infectious for years.
- The quiz is no longer available.
Where has CWD been detected in Michigan?
Hunters are asked to avoid moving deer from the following counties where CWD has been detected: Dickinson, Isabella, Kent, Montcalm, Gratiot, Ionia, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson and Hillsdale. Michigan urges hunters to avoid long-distance movements with the deer carcass and for the carcass to be handled and disposed of in a responsible manner.
Click here to learn more about how to submit a deer head for CWD testing.
How to report a sick deer in Michigan
If you see a deer that appears ill you should take note of the location and then reach out to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
You can click here to report a sick deer online or contact your local DNR office. If you make the report online you will be asked for personal information, details about the deer and you can upload photos if you took any.