1. A. Definitions

   1. Apparent Prevalence—the percentage of deer tested for CWD with confirmed positive CWD test results within a surveillance season.
   2. Cervid—any animal of the family Cervidae including, but not limited to, whitetailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou "reindeer", fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, and red deer.
   3. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)—Neurodegenerative disease found in most deer species, including whitetailed deer, mule deer, elk, red deer, moose, and caribou. It is infectious, always fatal, and has no treatment. CWD is part of a group of diseases know as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and is similar to BSE (mad cow disease) in cattle and scrapie in sheep. These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue, which leads to excessive salivation, neurological symptoms, emaciation, and death of the animal.
   4. CWD Management Zone—an area established and defined in response to the detection of CWD where disease mitigation is applied. It is comprised of both a CWD 5mile and a 15mile zone. The CWD management zone shall be established on the LDWF website at the beginning of the surveillance season and published in the electronic edition of the annual hunting regulations pamphlet annually in conformity with this Section.
   5. 5Mile Zone—a defined area five miles or more from a confirmed CWD positive deer.
   6. 15Mile Zone—a defined area fifteen miles or more from a confirmed CWD positive deer.
   7. Supplemental Feed/Bait—salt, grain, or other feed that has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered, if that salt, grain, or other feed could serve as a lure or attractant for wild quadrupeds or wild birds via ingestion.
   8. Surveillance Goal—the surveillance goal in relation to a CWD management zone, which is the statistical probability of detecting CWD at 2.5% prevalence with 95% confidence, not to exceed three hundred samples and developed by subject matter experts.
   9. Surveillance Season—CWD samples collected from July 1st June 30th.

2. B. CWD Management Zone Establishment, Modification, and Removal

   1. 1. Upon confirmation of a CWD detection in a wild cervid outside of an existing CWD management zone, LDWF shall immediately establish a CWD management zone around the CWD index case.
   2. 2. Existing CWD management zone boundaries shall only be modified upon the conclusion of the CWD surveillance season when CWD is confirmed outside of a CWD 5mile zone.
   3. 3. Establishment, modification, or removal of the CWD management zone shall be executed via declaration of emergency by the secretary, subject to ratification or amendment by the commission at its next regular meeting, and publication of the map on LDWF's website.
   4. 4. When establishing the CWD management zone, LDWF shall utilize public roads, geopolitical boundaries, water ways, visible rights-of-way, and other natural or manmade features that serve as identifiable boundaries. LDWF shall endeavor to establish the 5mile zone and 15mile zone as closely to each zone's respective actual radius as practicable. LDWF may consider inclusion of processors, taxidermists, state or federal lands, WMA's and refuges, and other relevant considerations when establishing the CWD management zone and its components.
   5. 5. The CWD management zone shall be removed when surveillance goals are met for three consecutive CWD surveillance seasons without an additional confirmed CWD detection.

3. C. Carcass Export Restrictions

   1. 1. The export of any cervid carcass or part of a cervid carcass originating within a designated CWD management zone is prohibited, except for: meat that is cut and wrapped; meat that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts, and cleaned cervid teeth.
   2. 2. Approved parts transported out of the CWD management zone must be legally possessed. Approved parts must contain a possession tag with the hunter's name, address, LDWF license number, parish of harvest, date of harvest, and sex of deer. All cervid parts transported out of the CWD management zone that are in violation of the provisions of this ban shall be seized and disposed of in accordance with the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rules.
   3. 3. LDWF shall maintain a permitting system to allow for uncleaned cervid heads to be transported out of the CWD management zone and to Louisiana taxidermy businesses solely for taxidermy purposes by waiver and adherence to waiver guidelines.

4. D. Baiting and Supplemental Feeding Restrictions

   1. 1. Placement of bait and supplemental feed for wild quadrupeds and wild birds, or hunting over bait, is prohibited within both the CWD 5-mile zone and the 15mile zone, except that placement of bait and supplemental feed is allowed from September 1st through March 31st, when apparent prevalence is less than 2.5% and the CWD management zone surveillance goal is achieved annually.

      1. a. If apparent prevalence exceeds the 2.5% threshold, the prohibition of bait and supplemental feed shall be in effect for future surveillance seasons, subject to ratification or amendment by the commission.
      2. b. If apparent prevalence exceeds 20%, placement of bait and supplemental feed is allowed.
      3. c. Failure to reach the surveillance goal in any CWD management zone shall result in a prohibition of bait and supplemental feed within the associated 5-mile zone and 15-mile zone for the subsequent surveillance season and shall remain in effect until such time as the surveillance goal is achieved, subject to ratification or amendment by the commission.
   2. 2. It is the responsibility of hunters to check their hunting area for bait prior to each hunt.
   3. 3. Bait and supplemental feed restrictions for any new, modified, or expanded CWD management zone are effective upon confirmation that apparent prevalence exceeds 2.5%, subject to ratification or amendment by the commission.
   4. 4. The use of bait not normally ingested by deer is allowed for feral hog trapping or holders of bear harvest permits during the designated bear baiting season.

5. E. Incentivized Hunter Harvest in CWD Management Zones

   1. 1. Properties within the CWD 5mile zone that have forty or more contiguous acres are eligible for Tier 1 DMAP (liberalized bag limit and season length) at no cost. All or part of the property must be within the specified zone.
   2. 2. LDWF is authorized to issue replacement tags to any hunter who harvests a deer that tests positive for CWD.

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with the Louisiana Constitution, Article IX, Section 7, R.S. 56:1, R.S. 56:5, R.S. 56:6(10), (13) and (15), R.S. 56:20, R.S. 56:112, R.S. 56:116.1 and R.S. 56:171 et seq.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, LR 48:2190 (August 2022), amended LR 51:1350 (September 2025), amended by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 24 of the 2026 Regular Session, LR 52:1076 (June 2026).