06/04/2026
๐ฆ The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) has ratified a Declaration of Emergency issued by LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth that establishes Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zones across affected areas of the state in response to the ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ as passed by the legislature.
The action, which results from the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 during the 2026 Legislative Session, shrinks former CWD Control Area regulations and establishes a framework for CWD Management Zones.
Key updates:
โ๏ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐. ๐ญ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ญ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ช๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ญ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐. NOTE: This allowance is based on achieving CWD sampling goals from the previous surveillance season (July 1-June 30). Apparent CWD prevalence rates 2.5% - 20% will result in the prohibition of baiting the following surveillance season.
โ๏ธ No statewide feeding ban is included.
โ๏ธ Deer carcass movement restrictions remain in place to help prevent the spread of CWD.
โ๏ธ CWD Management Zones will be adjusted as new detections occur and may be removed after three consecutive surveillance seasons with no detections.
โ๏ธThe use of bait not normally ingested by deer may be used for feral hog trapping.
The first CWD-positive deer was detected in Louisiana in 2022. At present, 55 CWD-positive deer have been detected.
CWD is an infectious, always fatal disease affecting deer. While it has not been shown to be contagious to humans, health officials recommend against consuming deer known to be infected and encourage hunters in affected areas to have harvested deer tested. LDWF provides free CWD testing for hunter-harvested deer.
Full details: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/lwfc-approves-declaration-of-emergency-establishing-cwd-management-zones
