CWD in Pennsylvania: A Quick Primer
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting deer, elk, and other members of the deer family. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, it was first detected in the state's free-ranging white-tailed deer in 2012 and has continued to spread since then, with confirmed cases rising each year.
To manage its spread, the PGC has established Disease Management Areas (DMAs) — regulated zones with special rules for hunters. As of the 2024–25 season, Pennsylvania has multiple active DMAs, including DMA 2 in southcentral PA covering all or portions of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Westmoreland, and York counties. There is also a more restrictive sub-zone called the Established Area (EA) where CWD is most concentrated. DMA 3 expanded into Armstrong County following a new detection, and DMA 8 expanded into portions of Dauphin, Lebanon, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties.
If you killed a deer in or near one of these zones, the rules for how you transport that animal matter — both for legal compliance and for protecting Pennsylvania's deer herd.
What Are "High-Risk" Carcass Parts?
The transport restrictions are built around what the PGC calls "high-risk" carcass parts — the tissues most likely to carry CWD prions. As defined by the Game Commission, these include:
- The head (including brain, eyes, tonsils, and lymph nodes)
- The spinal cord and backbone
- The spleen
- A skull plate with attached antlers if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present
- A cape if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present
- Upper canine teeth if root structure or soft tissue is attached
- Any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue
- Unfinished taxidermy mounts
- Brain-tanned hides
Meat, deboned meat, cleaned hides, antlers without soft tissue, and finished taxidermy mounts are not considered high-risk and can be transported freely.
The Core Rule: No High-Risk Parts Out of a DMA
If you harvest a deer inside a DMA or the Established Area, you cannot transport high-risk carcass parts outside of that zone — with one important exception. Under updated rules that took effect for the 2023–24 season, you can transport a deer with high-risk parts directly to any Game Commission-approved cooperating processor or taxidermist anywhere in Pennsylvania. A current list of approved cooperators is maintained at pgc.pa.gov/cwd.
This was a significant change. Previously, hunters were limited to processors and taxidermists within the specific DMA or EA where the deer was taken. The updated rules mean a hunter who kills a deer in DMA 2 can now take that deer straight to a qualified cooperating shop without making a separate return trip.
If You're Processing the Deer Yourself
Self-processors have options, but they come with conditions. If you harvest within a DMA or EA and plan to process the deer at home within that same zone, you can do so — but the high-risk parts must be disposed of through a commercial trash service. They cannot be buried, dumped in the woods, or left anywhere on the landscape outside of the harvest location.
If you live outside the DMA or EA, you can still bring your deer home to process — but you must quarter the animal first and remove all high-risk parts before leaving the zone. Only the quarters, boneless meat, and other non-restricted parts may cross the boundary.
Road-Killed Deer Follow the Same Rules
These regulations apply equally to deer killed in vehicle collisions and claimed by Pennsylvania residents for consumption. If a road-killed deer is picked up inside a DMA or EA, the high-risk parts must be handled the same way as a hunter-harvested animal before the carcass is transported out of the zone.
Hunting Out of State? Know the Rules Coming Back
Pennsylvania hunters who harvest deer in other states face their own set of restrictions. High-risk parts from cervids taken in states or Canadian provinces known to have CWD cannot be imported into Pennsylvania. Neighboring states including New York, Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia are on the restricted list. Hunters returning from these states must leave the high-risk parts behind — or transport the deer directly to a PGC-approved cooperating processor or taxidermist in Pennsylvania upon return.
Free CWD Testing Is Available
Any hunter who harvests a deer inside a DMA or the EA can submit the head for free CWD testing. The Game Commission places head collection bins at multiple locations throughout regulated zones during hunting season. Results are available through the CWD Dashboard — a joint resource maintained by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — or by calling 1-833-CWDINFO.
The Department of Agriculture also oversees CWD monitoring for captive and farmed cervid operations across the state through its Herd Certification Program. Voluntary testing is available statewide for hunters outside DMAs through the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory.
Stay Current — Boundaries Change
DMA boundaries are reviewed and updated annually by the Game Commission based on new detections, including road-killed deer surveillance conducted year-round. Always verify current boundaries before your season using the PGC's interactive CWD map. When in doubt, call your regional Game Commission office or check the official site before transporting any part of your harvest."
