New baiting rules and anterless-only season aim to help control disease and manage deer populations for 2025–2026

​​​​​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 12​, 2025) — New Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance measures are now in effect for Henderson, Union, and Webster counties, following the detection of CWD in a deer harvested just across the Ohio River in Posey County, Indiana.

In response, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a CWD Surveillance Zone for the three counties, expanding the state’s existing surveillance area, which includes Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Hickman, Marshall, Meade and McCracken counties. The zone brings specific regulations to help limit the spread of the disease among deer.

Key Regulations Now in Effect:

• Mandatory Testing: Hunters in Henderson, Union and Webster counties must bring deer harvested during the first three days of modern gun season (Nov. 8-10, 2025) to a staffed check station or CWD Sample Drop-Off site for testing.
• Carcass Transport Limits: Whole carcasses or high-risk parts from deer harvested in the zone cannot leave the three counties. Permitted items for transport include de-boned meat, clean skulls and teeth, antlers (with or without a clean skull cap), hides and finished taxidermy mounts. Carcasses of deer harvested outside the zone may be brought in.
• ​ Rehabilitation Ban: The rehabilitation of deer is prohibited within the surveillance zone.

For the 2025-2026 deer season, under the authority of the commissioner, two key changes take effect in all counties that are designated within the CWD Surveillance Zone.

First, baiting is now allowed in all counties within the CWD Surveillance Zone, provided it is not distributed through contact feeders (e.g., troughs, funnels, and gravity feeders without spreading capabilities). This change overrides the previous baiting ban, aiming to give hunters more opportunities to harvest deer while reducing deer densities. A statewide prohibition of feeding is still effective from March 1 through July 31. Also, feeding and baiting is illegal on all Wildlife Management Areas.

While permitted with limitations, baiting promotes unnatural congregation of deer, increasing the risk of CWD transmission through saliva, urine and feces from infected animals. Hunters should weigh this risk before choosing to bait.

Second, to manage deer populations and improve disease monitoring, a special two-day antlerless-only gun season will be held Sept. 27–28, 2025, in all CWD Surveillance Zone counties. During this special season, hunters are required to drop off the head of harvested deer to a CWD Sample Drop-off Site. Hunters may harvest any deer without visible antlers, including button bucks. However, no deer hunters—whether using firearms, bows or crossbows—may take an antlered buck in a CWD Surveillance Zone county during this weekend. Hunter orange requirements are in effect during this season.

Chronic Wasting Disease is caused by abnormal proteins called prions and affects white-tailed deer, elk and other animals in the deer family. There is no known cure or vaccine, and the disease is always fatal in infected animals. The disease is not known to be transmissible to people, but as a precaution the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not consuming meat from deer that test positive for the disease. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife always recommends not consuming meat taken from animals that appear to be sick or in poor condition.

Since 2002, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has CWD-tested more than 60,000 deer and elk from across the state. Hunters all across the state are encouraged to submit samples through CWD Sample Drop-Off sites or CWD Sample Mail-in Kits at any time during the hunting season. The test comes at no monetary cost to the hunter, and results are typically returned within 4-6 weeks.

More information about CWD, the surveillance zone and the agency’s response plan can be found at fw.ky.gov/cwd. For questions, or to report sick or dead deer, the public may contact the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Information Center at 800-858-1549 or at info.center@ky.gov, weekdays 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(Eastern), excluding holidays, or use the Report Wildlife Disease webpage on the department’s website.