Here at onX, we want to be part of the solution in stopping the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). In doing so, we now have all Wisconsin sampling and disposal locations reflected in the onX Hunt App.

Simply go to your Wisconsin Map Layers and turn on WI CWD Sample Sites and Disposal Locations. If you cannot find it in your Map Layers, you may have to add this layer from the Layer Library. To do so, go to the Layer Library, find Wisconsin, and add the CWD Layer. 

When turned on, these are the icons you can look for:

Once you’ve found a sample site, take these steps to have your deer tested in Wisconsin: 

1. Register your deer with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR).
2. Bring your deer to a local sampling station or self-service sampling kiosk. If no sampling station is available nearby, contact a local biologist to arrange the sampling.
3. Fill your harvest information using the new online form, using the onX Hunt App to supply the exact coordinates of the harvest. Your unique link can be found in your registration confirmation email. (Paper forms are also available.)
4. If using a self-service kiosk, follow posted instructions to prepare and deposit your sample. More information is available in the section below titled “Proper Sample Collection for CWD Testing.”
5. The samples collected at kiosks adopted by private folks go through this process:
   1. The kiosk administrator checks the information to be sure it is correct. 
   2. They take the head to the sampling center or a central location.
6. The hunter gets notified by email, phone call, and a postcard no matter if the sample is positive or negative. Positives should be returned first. Overall, the process takes 7-14 days. 
7. Hunters can also look up their sample online on the WI DNR CWD website. 

As a quick refresh, CWD is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in abnormal behavior, loss of body condition, and eventual death, CWD is a prion disease with a non-living vector. Prions are an abnormal form of a typically-harmless protein found in the brain and are responsible for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases in both animals and humans. These diseases occur when normal protein folds and “clumps” in the brain, causing brain damage. 

We’ve written about CWD in the past, including a blog highlighting what you need to know in the 2020 season.