(UNDATED) Hunters in Dodge County found eight deer infected with chronic wasting disease during the 2025 hunting season, according to new data released by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR tested 213 deer in Dodge County. All 213 samples were analyzed, and eight came back positive for CWD.
Statewide, nearly 18,000 deer were tested during the 2025 seasons. Of the 17,759 samples collected, 2,006 tested positive. Most of those cases — 87% — were in the Southern Farmland Zone, where the disease remains firmly established.
In that zone alone, 7,656 deer were tested. About 23% were positive, a rate similar to last year. More positives continue to show up in southwestern Wisconsin than in the southeastern part of the state.
The DNR focused this year’s sampling efforts on priority areas in central and northern Wisconsin, where the disease has recently been found in wild and farm-raised deer. La Crosse County recorded its first wild positive case. Clark County, outside the priority and endemic areas, also confirmed its first two cases.
Across Wisconsin, hunters had access to 242 sampling locations, including self-serve kiosks and staffed sites. On average, it took about nine days for hunters to receive their test results.
“CWD remains a complex issue with no single solution,” said Erin Larson, the DNR’s deer herd health specialist. She said the agency will continue working with hunters and local partners to support a healthy deer herd.
There have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. Still, public health officials recommend not eating meat from deer that test positive and encourage hunters to test deer before consuming venison, especially in areas where the disease is common.
County-by-county results and an interactive map of positive cases are available on the DNR’s website.
