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

Chronic wasting disease is one of the most serious threats facing Missouri’s deer population, and the state has built a significant body of law around slowing its spread. CWD is a 100% fatal, contagious disease that could devastate Missouri’s deer herd. Whether you hunt, own land, raise captive deer, or simply live in a county where the disease has been detected, the rules affect you directly.

Missouri’s regulations cover everything from where you can put out a mineral block to how you must dispose of a deer carcass after the harvest. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has proposed changes to CWD-related regulations as CWD remains low and deer herds stay healthy, including removing antler point restrictions, CWD management zones, and the CWD portion of the firearms deer season, while continuing mandatory testing and listing counties where CWD has been detected in seasonal regulations. This article walks you through the current rules and the regulatory landscape you need to understand before the next season opens.

CWD Status and Affected Areas in Missouri

CWD is a contagious, deadly brain disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the deer family, called cervids. The disease is caused by a misfolded protein and can be spread by direct contact between deer, when deer encounter the carcass of an infected deer, or when deer encounter the misfolded proteins shed in the environment — such as urine, feces, and saliva — by an infected deer.

CWD was first found in Missouri in confined deer facilities in Linn and Macon counties in 2010 and 2011. The disease was first detected in Missouri’s wild deer population in Macon County in 2012. Since then, it has spread considerably across the state.

The CWD Management Zone consists of counties that have had a CWD-positive detection and those that are within 10 miles of a CWD-positive detection. The zone expanded from six counties in 2012 to 82 counties in 2025. For the 2025–2026 deer seasons, the CWD Management Zone included Adair, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Boone, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Crawford, Dallas, Daviess, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Jasper, Jefferson, Knox, Laclede, Lewis, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, and Webster counties.

Twelve new counties were added to Missouri’s CWD zone for the 2025–2026 season — Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Daviess, Harrison, Henry, Marion, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Ralls, St. Louis, and Texas — totaling 83 counties in every region of the state. Despite the wide geographic reach, the percentage of deer in Missouri that have CWD remains very low.

You can check the MDC’s CWD page for the most current county-level detection maps and surveillance data. If you want to understand how Missouri’s animal disease framework extends beyond deer, the state’s brucellosis laws in Missouri cover similar regulatory territory for livestock and cervids.

Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in Missouri

Missouri maintains some of the strictest deer feeding and baiting rules in the region. The use of bait — which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract deer or turkeys — while hunting is illegal statewide. This prohibition on hunting over bait has been in place for many years and applies regardless of whether you are in a CWD zone.

Inside the CWD Management Zone, the restrictions go further. Grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products used to attract deer are prohibited year-round within CWD Management Zone counties. This means you cannot put out a mineral block, a salt lick, or any grain-based attractant on your property — even outside of hunting season — if your county falls within the zone.

The MDC does recognize a limited set of exceptions. The following exceptions are allowed: feed placed within 100 feet of any residence or occupied building; feed placed in a manner that excludes access by deer; and feed and minerals used solely for normal agricultural, forest management, or wildlife food plot production practices. Feed used as part of a feral hog or CWD management effort that is specifically authorized by the Conservation Department is also permitted.

• Statewide baiting ban: Hunting deer over bait is illegal everywhere in Missouri
• CWD Zone feeding ban: No grain, minerals, or salt products for deer, year-round
• Baiting clock: An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of the bait. A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a deer or turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
• Scents allowed: Doe urine and other scents, such as apple, acorn, and persimmon, may be used to attract deer while hunting, as long as the scents are not used on or with grain and other food products.

Because CWD can be spread by direct contact between deer, providing feed and minerals for deer where CWD has been found can lead to close contact and promote the spread of CWD. Deer in Missouri do not need supplemental feed and minerals to be healthy.

Carcass Transportation Rules in Missouri

Missouri updated its carcass transportation rules for the 2025–2026 season, shifting from county-level transport restrictions to statewide disposal requirements. The rule that previously prohibited transporting high-risk deer parts — such as the brain and spinal cord — out of the county of harvest has been removed.

In its place, two key obligations now apply to all hunters statewide:

1. Telecheck before you move: You must Telecheck your deer before transporting it (or its parts) out of the county where it was harvested or by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest, whichever comes first.
2. Proper carcass disposal: Parts of a deer carcass that are not kept or provided to a taxidermist, processor, or tanner must be disposed of in trash that is dumped in a sanitary landfill or left on the property where the deer was harvested.

For hunters bringing deer into Missouri from other states, the rules are stricter. For deer, elk, moose, or caribou harvested out of state, only the following parts may be brought into Missouri: meat that is cut and wrapped or that has been boned out; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached; and hides from which all excess tissue has been removed. The head with the cape and not more than 6 inches of neck attached may be brought into Missouri only if taken to a licensed taxidermist within 48 hours of entry.

Because CWD can be spread if deer contact an infected carcass, the carcass disposal restrictions help to slow the spread of CWD. You can find additional context about Missouri’s approach to wildlife disease management through the CWD-Info.org Missouri regulations page. Missouri hunters interested in related wildlife transport rules may also want to review pet import laws in Missouri for context on how the state regulates animal movement more broadly.

CWD Testing Requirements for Hunters in Missouri

Missouri operates both mandatory and voluntary CWD testing programs. The testing structure is designed to catch new infections early and track the disease’s spread across the state. Since 2001, over 152,300 free-ranging deer have been tested for CWD in Missouri. Surveillance focuses on mandatory sampling of hunter-harvested deer opening weekend of firearms season in CWD Management Zone counties, sampling of hunter-harvested male deer by taxidermists throughout the state, targeted sampling of sick deer statewide, and testing of deer culled post-season for disease management in areas with CWD.

For the 2025–2026 season, mandatory testing applied on the opening weekend of the November firearms portion. During November 15–16, hunters who harvested a deer in designated CWD Management Zone counties must take the deer (or its head) on the day of harvest to a mandatory CWD sampling station. Mandatory CWD sampling for the 2025–2026 season focused on counties that are newer to the CWD Management Zone. Mandatory CWD sampling was not conducted in many counties where it had been conducted in previous years.

Outside of mandatory sampling, voluntary testing is available and encouraged. MDC encourages hunters who harvest deer anywhere in Missouri throughout the entire deer hunting season — September 15 through January 15 — to get free CWD testing for their deer at numerous sites around the state, including MDC offices, participating taxidermists and meat processors, and freezer drop-off locations.

There have been no known cases of CWD in humans. However, the CDC recommends that hunters test deer for CWD if hunting in an area where the disease has been found and avoid consuming meat from any deer that appears sick or tests positive for CWD. For more information on testing sites and procedures, visit the MDC’s CWD FAQs page.

Captive Cervid and Deer Farming Rules in Missouri

Missouri divides oversight of captive cervids between two state agencies, each with distinct responsibilities. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) oversees the permitting of captive cervid facilities raising white-tailed deer and big game hunting preserves. The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) oversees the USDA Herd Certification program in Missouri. Elk raised for human consumption are regulated by MDA.

Movement of captive cervids is tightly controlled to prevent disease spread between facilities and into wild populations. In Missouri, farmed cervids must participate in the CWD Voluntary Herd Certification Program directed by USDA and administered by the Missouri Department of Agriculture in order to move animals within the state or into other states. All CWD-susceptible cervids over one year of age must be enrolled in a CWD program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to move animals within the state or into other states.

The MDA’s Herd Certification Program establishes ongoing surveillance obligations for deer farmers. It requires CWD surveillance, reporting, and testing of farmed cervids 12 months of age and older that die, are slaughtered, or show signs of CWD. For facilities that operate big game hunting preserves, the testing bar is higher. MDC regulations require CWD testing for all mortalities over the age of 12 months. Big Game Hunt Preserves must test 50% of harvested males. There are minimum testing requirements for all permitted facilities.

Fallow deer receive slightly different treatment under the rules. Fallow deer are not required to be in the CWD Herd Certification Program to move within Missouri but must have documentation of a current annual inspection conducted by an accredited veterinarian and a record of current inventory. However, fallow deer that have contact with susceptible species must be enrolled in a CWD Herd Certification Program to move within the state.

Deer farmers and hunting preserve operators should contact the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division directly for enrollment procedures and current herd certification requirements. For related livestock disease regulations in Missouri, see the state’s brucellosis laws, which similarly govern animal movement and disease certification.

Reporting Sick or Suspected Deer in Missouri

Early detection is central to Missouri’s CWD management strategy, and the MDC relies on hunters, landowners, and the public to report deer that appear sick or behave abnormally. MDC’s goal is to find the disease as early as possible where it exists and to limit its impacts on Missouri’s deer herd and hunting culture.

CWD-positive deer often display a recognizable set of symptoms as the disease progresses. Common signs that should prompt a report include:

• Severe weight loss or a visibly emaciated appearance
• Stumbling, loss of coordination, or trembling
• Drooping head, ears, or tail
• Excessive drooling or salivation
• Lack of fear of humans or unusual docility
• Teeth grinding or repetitive walking in set patterns
• Drinking excessively or urinating frequently

You should not attempt to handle a deer you suspect has CWD. Instead, report it to the MDC as quickly as possible. The MDC’s state wildlife veterinarian can be reached at Sherri.Russell@mdc.mo.gov or by calling (573) 522-4115 x3617. You can also contact your local MDC regional office or submit a report through the MDC’s online portal at mdc.mo.gov.

Surveillance includes targeted sampling of sick deer statewide, meaning that when you report a sick deer, it may be collected and tested as part of the state’s ongoing monitoring program. This information feeds directly into decisions about where mandatory testing zones are placed and where targeted management actions are taken.

Understanding how Missouri handles other types of wildlife and animal health concerns can provide useful context. For instance, roadkill laws in Missouri govern what you can and cannot do with a deer found dead on a roadway, which intersects with carcass disposal rules under CWD regulations.

Penalties for CWD Violations in Missouri

Missouri treats CWD regulation violations seriously, and enforcement covers both hunters and landowners. The penalties vary depending on the specific rule violated, but fines and potential loss of hunting privileges are the primary consequences.

For the feeding and baiting prohibitions, anyone caught feeding deer can be fined, with some tickets costing around $250. This applies to landowners who put out mineral blocks or grain in CWD Management Zone counties, not just hunters actively hunting over bait.

Violations of the statewide baiting ban carry their own consequences. A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a deer or turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited. It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule. This means a landowner who places bait on their property can be held responsible if a hunter on that land is subsequently cited.

For captive cervid operators, non-compliance with the MDC permitting or MDA Herd Certification Program requirements can result in facility closure, mandatory depopulation of the herd, and significant financial penalties under Missouri’s wildlife breeder and agricultural regulations. MDC spends money from its budget and is reimbursed for 75 percent of qualifying expenses related to CWD testing and management through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration Program. The funding is not affected by the number of CWD cases found, and MDC does not make a profit from CWD management.

If you want to understand the broader landscape of animal-related laws in Missouri, the following resources may be useful: pet laws in Missouri, animal cruelty laws in Missouri, and coyote hunting laws in Missouri. For those who keep animals on rural properties, backyard chicken laws in Missouri and kennel zoning laws in Missouri may also be relevant to how your land use intersects with state wildlife and agricultural regulations.