Oregon is expanding Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) monitoring as Any Legal Weapon deer seasons begin statewide on October 3, with new check stations operating during opening weekend.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife asked all successful deer and elk hunters to submit CWD samples. Hunters who submit samples between August 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027 receive one entry into a drawing for a Howa 1500 .223 caliber rifle courtesy of the Oregon Hunters Association.
CWD has been detected in neighboring Idaho, Washington, and California but not in Oregon, the agency said. The disease is fatal to deer, elk, and moose, with no cure. Early detection is critical to reducing the disease's impact on Oregon wildlife populations.
Sampling takes approximately 10 minutes, with technicians collecting lymph nodes and hunter details at designated check stations. The agency operates several check stations during deer and elk seasons at locations including Celilo Park, Prineville, Elgin, Riley, Aurora, Buxton, and Ukiah, with specific dates and hours posted.
Hunters who don't pass a check station can visit participating taxidermists or meat processors, make appointments at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices, or use after-hours collection bins at certain agency offices. It is mandatory for hunters transporting harvested deer or elk to stop at a CWD check station if they pass one.
The agency has tested more than 40,000 samples from hunter-harvested, road-killed, and other deceased animals over the past two decades without finding any cases in Oregon. A new testing facility opened at Oregon State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Corvallis to reduce turnaround time for results.