HASTINGS, Minn. – Hunters in Hastings stopped at a chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing site after each successful kill on Saturday, the opening day of deer gun season in Minnesota.
It’s an extra step, but one that’s necessary, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The location is one of several across the state where testing will be required during opening weekend, with many locations in the southeastern part of the state.
CWD is fatal to deer, but its impact on humans is still unknown. Hunters in Hastings had DNR crews harvest lymph nodes from their deer, which will be tested for the disease.
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The “mandatory” zone in Hastings limits the deer being transported elsewhere before test results are made official.
“We are keeping an eye on this disease and monitoring it as best we can, it all comes down to giving those hunters that experience,” said John Bourne, assistant wildlife manager with the DNR. “It’s a huge help. It gives us thousands of samples that we might not otherwise be able to get.”
While opening day appears to be a success for many hunters in the state, police and the Minnesota State Patrol are trying to determine how Saturday morning a hunter was shot in the head near Moorhead. The condition and identity of the hunter, a 34-year-old Dilworth man, have not been released.
