Chronic Wasting Disease Laws in South Dakota: What Every Hunter Needs to Know

Chronic wasting disease is one of the most serious wildlife management challenges facing South Dakota hunters and landowners today. CWD is a fatal brain disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. Once it takes hold in a population, it does not go away — and the rules designed to slow its spread carry real legal consequences for anyone who ignores them.

Whether you are a resident deer hunter, an out-of-state visitor, or someone who raises captive cervids, South Dakota has specific regulations that apply to you. This guide walks through every major area of South Dakota’s CWD regulatory framework so you know exactly what is required before, during, and after the hunt.

CWD Status and Affected Areas in South Dakota

CWD is a fatal brain disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. Animals infected with CWD show progressive loss of weight and body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, depression, loss of muscle control, and eventual death. The disease is always fatal for the afflicted animal.

As of the 2025 deer hunting season, CWD has been detected in 23 counties in South Dakota, including hunting units associated with the Black Hills, West River, East River, and Refuge deer hunting seasons. That number has grown steadily over the past several years. CWD was confirmed in a new area in southeastern South Dakota, with confirmation obtained from a hunter-harvested adult male white-tailed deer in southern Union County along the Missouri River.

The disease cannot be diagnosed by observation of physical symptoms because many big game diseases affect animals in similar ways. This is a critical point: you cannot tell by looking at a deer whether it carries CWD. Most harvested individuals with CWD will appear healthy and display no clinical signs.

The affected species include white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk. A cervid is a mammal of the family Cervidae, which includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk. All three are subject to South Dakota’s CWD rules. You can view the most current county-by-county distribution map through the South Dakota GFP CWD page or in the 2025–2029 CWD Action Plan.

Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in South Dakota

South Dakota does not currently have a statewide statutory ban on baiting or feeding deer for hunting purposes, but the state strongly discourages the practice and has taken steps to address it through its CWD management framework. Use of scent alone does not constitute a bait station under South Dakota’s interpretation of its rules.

CWD can be spread from animal to animal or environment to animal. Concentration of cervids at feeding and baiting stations has the potential to increase the spread and prevalence of CWD. Eliminating feeding and baiting areas can slow the spread from animal to animal and environment to animal.

The state’s official guidance goes further. Best management practices developed by wildlife biologists and disease specialists include the recommendation to not feed wildlife — including salt licks, corn feeders, or any activity that congregates animals. It is highly recommended that the feeding of cervids be discontinued in all areas of South Dakota.

If you hunt on tribal lands or in units managed under federal authority, separate rules may apply. Always check with the specific land manager or tribal wildlife office before using any attractant. You may also want to review how other states handle baiting restrictions to understand how quickly these rules can change once CWD is confirmed in a region. For related South Dakota animal and wildlife regulations, see our guide to roadkill laws in South Dakota.

Carcass Transportation Rules in South Dakota

South Dakota GFP has regulations for the transportation and disposal of deer and elk carcasses from other states and from the county of harvest within South Dakota. These rules apply to you as a hunter. They became effective beginning with the 2021 hunting seasons and remain in force today.

Transporting Within South Dakota

Regulations do not prohibit a hunter from transporting a deer or elk carcass from the harvest location to anywhere in the state. However, if any portion of the carcass is removed from the location of harvest and transported from the county of harvest, regulations require the hunter to dispose of all carcass remains with a waste management provider.

Hunters are recommended to leave as much of the unusable carcass as possible at the location of the harvest in a discrete location on both public and private lands, and to make arrangements with the landowner on property where permission has been granted.

Bringing Carcasses Into South Dakota From Another State

Unless delivered to a licensed taxidermist or game processor, anyone transporting whole or partial cervid carcasses from another state into South Dakota must dispose of all remaining cervid carcass parts with a waste management provider or a permitted landfill. Whole or partial cervid carcasses being transported through the state are exempt from this section.

Only certain low-risk portions of a hunter-harvested cervid may be brought into South Dakota from out of state. Only the following portions of hunter-harvested cervid carcasses may be brought into South Dakota: cut and wrapped meat; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached; antlers, hides, or teeth; finished taxidermy mounts; or antlers attached to skull caps that are cleaned of all brain tissue.

Rules for Processors and Taxidermists

Wildlife processing facilities must dispose of all remaining cervid carcass parts with a waste management provider or permitted landfill. Game processors licensed by another state or federal entity must dispose of carcasses as required by the conditions associated with their license.

A taxidermist must dispose of all remaining cervid carcass parts with a waste management provider or permitted landfill.

Hunters can assist in the reduction of CWD spread by deboning meat in the field and leaving the carcass at the harvest site. Research has shown that infected carcasses pose a threat to the spread of CWD, and thus should be deboned in the field or disposed of with a waste management provider or in a landfill that will bury the carcass. You can find approved carcass disposal sites on the GFP interactive map at gfp.sd.gov/cwd-regulations.

CWD Testing Requirements for Hunters in South Dakota

South Dakota does not currently mandate that every hunter submit their deer or elk for CWD testing, but the state actively encourages voluntary participation and runs a robust surveillance program to track the disease’s spread.

Testing includes samples from hunters, as well as testing of animals that exhibit signs of illness before death — such as emaciation, excessive salivation, and disorientation. This provides presence/absence data for wildlife biologists to monitor hunter-harvested and sick-reported cervids across South Dakota.

Hunters who harvest deer or elk are welcome to submit samples for testing. In such cases, hunters may be responsible for certain costs — such as shipping or professional sample collection — if submitted personally. However, GFP will cover the laboratory testing costs at the SDSU Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL) if the samples or cervid carcass are brought to an official GFP collection site.

Soaking your stainless-steel knives and other tools in a 40% chlorine/bleach mixture for five minutes can deactivate the prion. Hunters who do this can have peace of mind that they have clean equipment and have done their part to prevent the spread of CWD.

Testing is especially valuable in counties near newly confirmed CWD areas. The more samples GFP collects, the better the state can map where the disease exists and adjust management strategies accordingly. For more on how South Dakota manages wildlife law enforcement, see our overview of leash laws in South Dakota and other animal regulations enforced by state and local agencies.

Captive Cervid and Deer Farming Rules in South Dakota

Captive cervid operations — including deer farms and elk ranches — face a separate and more stringent set of requirements in South Dakota. CWD has already been confirmed in captive animals in the state, which makes oversight of these facilities a high priority.

The South Dakota Animal Industry Board oversees captive cervid regulations. CWD has been identified in a captive elk in Clark County, South Dakota. That detection, combined with ongoing surveillance, has shaped the state’s approach to captive herd management.

Under South Dakota’s import requirements for captive cervids, animals entering the state must meet specific health testing standards. A negative TB test of the herd of origin within one year prior to entry, AND a negative single-cervical test or Dual Path Platform (DPP) test of individual animals within 90 days prior to entry, are required. The DPP test is approved only for elk, red deer, white-tailed deer, fallow deer, and reindeer.

Any captive facility that has a confirmed CWD-positive animal must work with the South Dakota Animal Industry Board to determine the appropriate surveillance response, which may include focused sampling efforts in the surrounding area. The goal is to prevent captive-origin CWD from spreading to wild populations — a risk that has materialized in other states and must be actively managed here.

If you are involved in goat or other livestock operations near deer farming facilities, you may also find our guide to goat ownership laws in South Dakota useful for understanding how state animal health rules intersect with wildlife disease management.

Reporting Sick or Suspected Deer in South Dakota

One of the most important things you can do as a hunter, landowner, or outdoor enthusiast is report deer or elk that appear sick. Early detection of CWD in new areas depends on people in the field noticing and reporting abnormal behavior.

Animals infected with CWD show progressive loss of weight and body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, depression, and loss of muscle control. If you observe any of these signs in a free-ranging deer or elk, do not approach the animal. Instead, report it immediately.

• Contact your local GFP office — office locations and phone numbers are available at gfp.sd.gov/contactus
• Call a GFP conservation officer — officers can respond to sick animal reports and collect samples
• Contact the South Dakota Animal Industry Board at 605-773-3321 for issues involving captive cervids

GFP tests animals that exhibit signs of illness before death, including emaciation, excessive salivation, and disorientation, as part of its sick surveillance efforts. Your report directly feeds this surveillance program and helps wildlife managers understand where the disease may be spreading.

The CWD Action Plan assesses the risk of the disease for cervid populations in South Dakota, determines ways to address the disease, and implements future management steps when populations require it. Sick animal reports from the public are a core data source that informs those management decisions.

Reporting is not just encouraged — it is an essential part of South Dakota’s disease management strategy. The state relies on hunters and landowners as partners in CWD surveillance. For context on how South Dakota handles other animal-related reporting obligations, see our article on roadkill laws in South Dakota and the rules around reporting and collecting wildlife.

Penalties for CWD Violations in South Dakota

South Dakota enforces its CWD regulations through its existing wildlife and animal health law framework. Violations of carcass transportation and disposal rules, captive cervid import requirements, and related regulations can result in significant legal consequences.

CWD-related violations in South Dakota fall under the authority of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, depending on whether the violation involves wild or captive animals. Enforcement is carried out by GFP conservation officers and state animal health officials.

The GFP Commission modified carcass transportation and disposal regulations for the entire state, effective for the 2021 hunting seasons. The goal of the CWD regulations is to help reduce the artificial spread of CWD into new areas of South Dakota. Violations undermine that goal and expose individuals to enforcement action.

Under South Dakota Codified Law, most GFP violations are classified as misdemeanors, which can carry fines and the suspension or revocation of hunting licenses. Repeat violations or egregious cases — such as knowingly importing a CWD-positive carcass — can result in more serious penalties. Conservation officers have the authority to issue citations in the field, and cases can be referred to the state’s attorney for prosecution.

If you are unsure whether a specific activity — such as bringing a deer head back from an out-of-state hunt or disposing of carcass material on your property — complies with current law, contact your local GFP office before acting. Due to the regular amending of regulations in South Dakota, it is recommended that before hunting you check the CWD regulations, as well as those of any other states or provinces in which you will be hunting or traveling through while transporting cervid carcasses.

For a broader look at how South Dakota enforces animal and wildlife laws, explore our guides on pit bull laws in South Dakota, kennel zoning laws in South Dakota, and backyard chicken laws in South Dakota to understand the full scope of the state’s animal regulation framework. Hunters traveling from neighboring states should also review roadkill laws in North Dakota and animal laws in North Dakota if they are crossing state lines with harvested animals.