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For more than three years, the PA Game Commission has been working on a new way to address the CWD issue. It looks like some hunters can help move that program closer to its conclusion.
One key component of the state's efforts to combat CWD is collecting samples for testing. Many samples come from hunters who collect deer heads at drop bins throughout the state, especially in areas infected or suspected of being infected. The results are shared with the hunters and Commission biologists. Hunters know whether the harvest was infected, which allows them to make an informed decision about using the meat. Biologists know if CWD has spread or been contained.
During the 2025 hunting season, more than 14,000 deer were tested, and 484 positive results were recorded. To achieve this, PGC staff visited bin sites several times per week, collected tissue samples, entered the collection information into a database, and submitted the samples for testing. This system of having hunters deposit heads in bins consumed a high number of staff man-hours, was prone to sample contamination, and was much longer than desired. The pilot program looks to circumvent the bins, reduce costs, and reduce testing time. This will be achieved by cutting out the middleman and allowing hunters to submit samples directly to the lab.
Letters have already been sent to randomly selected hunters asking if they wish to participate. Hunters who choose to will be mailed a test kit that includes instructions on how to collect the necessary tissue samples, a link to a video demonstration of the collection and packaging process, and pre-addressed envelopes allowing the hunters to return the samples directly to the lab. Participation is not mandatory, and hunters who choose not to will still be able to use drop bins.
The goal is to achieve high participation while increasing how quickly results are available to hunters. However, that is still some way down the road. For now, the Commission is rolling the program out in small but increasing numbers before making it available statewide. Jeannine Fleegle, a wildlife biologist with the PGC's deer and elk section, described this as an attempt to address potential problems early in the pilot program, increasing the program's eventual efficiency.
While several states have established collection bins or obtain tissue samples at check stations, Pennsylvania is expected to be the first state to involve hunters in the process. Officials hope this approach will not only increase testing efficiency but also increase CWD knowledge among participating hunters. For right now, it is a positive step in what has been a bleak battle against what has become a national epidemic affecting the American whitetail deer herd.