Chronic Wasting Disease Laws in Michigan: What Hunters and Landowners Must Know

Chronic wasting disease is reshaping how hunters, landowners, and deer farmers operate across Michigan. CWD is a contagious illness that impacts the nervous system of deer and elk, causing the brain of infected animals to deteriorate in a distinctive spongy manner, leading to weight loss, unusual actions, loss of body functions, and death. The infectious agents responsible are not classified as bacteria or viruses but rather as prions — proteins believed to be capable of causing infections even though they lack the nucleic acids usually found in infectious agents.

Whether you’re planning a deer hunt, running a captive cervid operation, or simply feeding wildlife in your backyard, Michigan law places specific obligations on you. Understanding those obligations — and the penalties for ignoring them — is essential for anyone who interacts with the state’s deer herd.

CWD Status and Affected Areas in Michigan

Chronic wasting disease has been discovered in 18 Michigan counties, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Those counties are Gladwin, Allegan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw, and Washtenaw.

CWD has spread considerably since it was first confirmed in Michigan’s deer population in 2015. In 2025, 41 cases of CWD were found across Michigan by both veterinary and DNR testing reports, though this was less than 2% of the total tested cases.

According to the Michigan DNR, CWD can be transmitted through direct animal-to-animal contact or contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood, and certain carcass parts such as brain tissue and spinal cord of an infected animal. It is caused by prions and can remain in the environment for more than 10 years. This environmental persistence is precisely why Michigan has enacted strict rules around carcass disposal, transport, and deer congregation.

The DNR uses a tiered geographic system for CWD management. The broader CWD Management Zone covers counties where the disease has been detected or where surveillance is heightened, and a tighter CWD Core Area encompasses the counties with the highest confirmed prevalence. The DNR has been analyzing data from focused surveillance efforts in 2025 and plans for 2026 surveillance are in the works, with additional information on testing locations and drop box sites to be posted once finalized.

Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in Michigan

Michigan’s baiting and feeding rules differ significantly between the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, and they represent one of the most debated aspects of CWD management in the state.

Lower Peninsula: Complete Ban

Baiting and feeding is banned in the entire Lower Peninsula, including both public and private lands. Michigan instituted this Lower Peninsula baiting ban in 2018 as a response to the spread of chronic wasting disease in the deer herd. As of June 2026, that ban remains in effect — the bill to lift it currently sits with the Michigan Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, and until a Senate vote is held, the baiting ban remains in effect across the Lower Peninsula.

Under the law, “bait” means a substance intended for consumption by deer composed of grains, minerals, salt, fruits, vegetables, hay, or any other food materials used as an aid in hunting. “Feed” means a substance composed of grain, mineral, salt, fruit, vegetables, hay, or other food material that may attract deer or elk for any reason other than hunting.

The only time a hunter may legally use bait in the Lower Peninsula is if they are a hunter with certain disabilities during specific short seasons known as the Liberty Hunt or Independence Hunt. Eligible hunters — such as 100% disabled veterans, blind hunters, or those with special DNR permits — can use bait during those hunts, but must follow strict rules, including no more than 2 gallons of bait per site.

Upper Peninsula: Allowed with Strict Limits

Baiting and feeding deer are also banned in parts of three Upper Peninsula counties where CWD is a concern. In the rest of the Upper Peninsula, baiting is permitted but tightly regulated:

• Baiting is allowed only from September 15 through January 1. The maximum volume is 2 gallons per site. Bait must be scattered over a 10-by-10-foot area and placed directly on the ground — no troughs.
• Feeding deer in the Upper Peninsula for recreational viewing is also allowed, but limited to up to 2 gallons per residence per day, and the feed must be within 100 yards of a residence and scattered on the ground.
• A person may engage in supplemental feeding in the Upper Peninsula only if the placement of feed does not begin before January 1 and does not extend beyond May 15.
• Feed must be at least 100 yards from any area accessible to cattle, goats, sheep, new world camelids, bison, swine, horses, or captive cervidae.

Scent Attractants

You may not possess or use lures or attractants in an area frequented by game that contain or claim to contain cervid urine or other bodily fluids originating from cervids, except for products produced by manufacturers that are actively enrolled and participating in either the official Responsible Hunting Scent Association or Archery Trade Association Deer Protection Program, which has been tested for the presence of CWD by a qualified laboratory and certified that no detectable levels of CWD are present and is clearly labeled as such.

If you enjoy bow hunting in Michigan, pay close attention to scent regulations — they apply equally during archery season.

Carcass Transportation Rules in Michigan

Where you kill a deer in Michigan determines what you can legally move — and how far. These rules exist because the suspected infective prion is concentrated in the brain, spinal cord, and lymph glands, making whole carcass transport a primary vector for spreading CWD to new areas.

Transporting Deer Within Michigan

Hunters may bring carcasses from a lower-risk area to a higher-risk area — for example, from outside of the CWD Management Zone into the Zone, or from the Management Zone into the Core Area. Movement in the opposite direction is where restrictions apply.

Hunters may not transport whole deer carcasses from the CWD Core Area to the CWD Management Zone, or remove carcasses from the CWD Management Zone to the rest of the state, with two exceptions: the deer must be properly checked within 24 hours of harvest at a DNR check station or head drop box, OR only specific portions of the deer may be transported.

Those permitted portions are:

• Deboned meat, quarters, or other parts with no part of the spinal column or head attached
• Antlers, or antlers attached to a skull or skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue
• Hides
• Upper canine teeth
• Finished taxidermist mounts
• A deer carcass taken directly to a registered processor, or an intact deer head detached from the carcass taken directly to a licensed taxidermist

Roadkill Deer

You may not possess the carcass, or parts thereof, of a roadkill deer outside of the county where the deer was killed by collision with a motor vehicle, except for deboned meat, quarters, or other parts that do not have any part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, antlers attached to the skull or skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth, or a finished taxidermist mount. Learn more about the full rules in Michigan’s roadkill laws.

Importing Cervids from Out of State

You may bring only the following parts from a free-ranging or captive deer, elk, moose, or other cervid hunted within another state or province into Michigan: hides, deboned meat, quarters or other parts of the cervid that do not have any part of the spinal column or head attached, finished taxidermy products.

If you are notified by another state or province that a deer, elk, moose, or other cervid you brought into Michigan tested positive for CWD, you must contact the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab within two business days at 517-336-5030 and provide details.

Carcass Disposal

Deer carcasses and parts should go directly to a landfill or be disposed of through regular bagged trash pickup. Studies show that CWD can survive on the landscape for years, contributing to the spread of disease. Deer harvested from known CWD areas should never be disposed of on the landscape.

CWD Testing Requirements for Hunters in Michigan

Michigan does not require every hunter to test every harvested deer, but voluntary testing is strongly encouraged — and in certain high-priority zones, the DNR actively solicits samples. Understanding when testing is expected (and when it is mandatory) can protect both your household and the broader deer herd.

Voluntary Testing

Hunters play an important role in limiting the spread of chronic wasting disease. The Michigan DNR has several ways to have deer checked and tested for CWD. Drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites are operated throughout deer season, particularly in and around CWD-positive counties. Additional information on CWD testing in 2026, including locations of DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites, will be posted on the CWD testing webpage once finalized.

Mandatory Submission in Core Areas

A harvested deer cannot be possessed or transported outside of Montcalm County, Otisco, Orleans, Ronald, and north Plains Townships in Ionia County, and Nelson, Spencer, Courtland, Oakfield, Grattan, and Cannon Townships in Kent County unless it is deboned meat, quarters or other parts of a cervid that do not have any part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, antlers attached to a skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth, or a finished taxidermist mount, OR the hunter has presented the head at a designated drop off location within 24 hours after killing the deer.

Hunters Feeding Michigan Program

All deer from counties with previous confirmed cases of CWD or bovine tuberculosis that are donated to the Hunters Feeding Michigan program are also submitted directly to the MSU lab for testing. If you plan to donate venison, be aware that your deer will undergo CWD screening before it enters the food donation chain.

Should You Eat a CWD-Positive Deer?

There have been no known transfers of CWD to humans at this point. However, wildlife and public health agencies consistently advise against consuming meat from CWD-positive animals. The CDC tracks CWD occurrence across the United States and provides updated guidance for hunters in affected states.

Captive Cervid and Deer Farming Rules in Michigan

Operating a captive cervid facility in Michigan means navigating a dual regulatory structure. MDARD oversees disease testing of captive cervids, while the Michigan DNR oversees facility permits. Both agencies must be satisfied for a facility to operate legally.

Importation Rules

Importation of cervids is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. An imported animal must stay in the herd for two years and may then only be moved to a new facility by permit. Imported animals meeting those criteria may only move to CWD-certified herds. Imported animals may be moved to a ranch facility after five years and must be moved by permit.

CWD Surveillance and Herd Certification

Under the CWD Surveillance Program, all death losses due to illness in privately owned cervid herds over 12 months of age, and 25% of hunted or culled animals, must be reported to MDARD and submitted for CWD testing.

The Herd Certification Program — which as of 2020 requires all full facilities to participate — mandates that operators test all death losses in animals greater than 12 months of age. Achieving and maintaining certified status is critical for facilities that wish to move animals between locations or sell breeding stock.

CWD is a reportable disease in Michigan, and if suspected in a captive herd, it must be reported to MDARD immediately. If you operate a deer farm or hunting preserve, you should also familiarize yourself with Michigan’s broader livestock disease reporting requirements and brucellosis laws, which intersect with cervid herd management in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula.

Captive Cervid Feed Restrictions

The same baiting and feeding geography that applies to wild deer also affects captive cervid operations. Feed placed for deer or elk must be at least 100 yards from any area accessible to cattle, goats, sheep, new world camelids, bison, swine, horses, or captive cervidae — a rule designed to prevent cross-species disease transmission. Owners of goats or other livestock near cervid facilities should be aware of this buffer requirement.

Reporting Sick or Suspected Deer in Michigan

Early detection of CWD-infected deer depends heavily on hunters and landowners reporting unusual animal behavior. The DNR has made this process straightforward, and your reports directly feed into the state’s surveillance strategy.

What to Look For

Helpful reports include deer that appear emaciated, lethargic, disoriented, lame, or unresponsive — these are good candidates for CWD testing, though these symptoms are also characteristic of deer affected by other maladies or injuries. Infected deer may show no signs of disease or illness for several years, which is why testing harvested animals — even healthy-looking ones — remains the most reliable detection method.

How to Report

You are encouraged to report sick deer at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. This online tool allows you to submit location information, photos, and behavioral observations directly to DNR wildlife staff. Reports of deer exhibiting CWD-like symptoms may prompt the DNR to dispatch personnel for closer investigation or targeted sampling in that area.

If you encounter a dead deer on a roadway or public land, Michigan’s wildlife removal laws govern what you can and cannot do with the carcass. Do not move or transport the carcass in a way that violates CWD transport restrictions described above.

Positive Test Notifications

If you are notified by another state or province that a deer, elk, moose, or other cervid you brought into Michigan tested positive for CWD, you must contact the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab within two business days (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 517-336-5030 and provide details. Failure to report within that window can result in additional violations on top of any transport-related charges.

Penalties for CWD Violations in Michigan

Michigan enforces its CWD regulations through a combination of misdemeanor charges, fines, and license revocations. The severity of the penalty generally tracks the nature of the violation.

Baiting and Feeding Violations

The current penalty for baiting or feeding deer in the Lower Peninsula — where it is banned with some limited exceptions — is a 90-day misdemeanor, with a fine between $50 and $500. Conservation officers have authority to issue citations on both public and private land, and the DNR has conducted sting operations in the past where people illegally importing whole deer carcasses faced charges and loss of their animal.

Carcass Transport Violations

Any person bringing full carcasses or parts other than those legally permitted is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $500 or more than $2,000, or both, and the cost of prosecution. This is a notably stiffer penalty than the baiting fine, reflecting the state’s concern about CWD prions being physically transported into new geographic areas.

Captive Cervid Violations

Failure to comply with MDARD’s CWD surveillance and reporting requirements for captive cervid facilities can result in facility permit suspension or revocation, quarantine orders, and referral for criminal prosecution under the Animal Industry Act. Because CWD is a reportable disease in Michigan, failure to report a suspected case immediately to MDARD constitutes a separate violation from any underlying biosecurity failure.

Summary of Key Penalties

Staying on the right side of Michigan’s CWD laws protects more than your hunting license — it protects the long-term health of the state’s deer population. Whether you’re a seasoned hunter, a new deer farmer, or a landowner managing wildlife habitat, understanding these rules is part of responsible stewardship. For a broader look at how Michigan regulates animals and wildlife, explore the state’s pet laws, coyote hunting laws, and backyard chicken regulations — all of which intersect with the same conservation framework that governs CWD management.