Department confirms CWD in Pulaski County; commission adds nine-county surveillance zone

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources confirmed a detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a deer harvested near Somerset in Pulaski County and the commission approved creating a surveillance zone spanning nine counties.

Assistant Wildlife Division Director Scott Hart reported that a 2½-year-old buck harvested with a crossbow in September was tested and the sample returned a positive result that was replicated internally and confirmed by an independent laboratory; genetic testing matched the sample to the skull and staff identified the ground location of the harvest. Hart said staff increased voluntary sampling in the surrounding counties and met sampling goals in seven of nine counties without mandatory check stations.

Staff recommended adding Pulaski, Casey, Lincoln, McCreary, Rockcastle, Laurel, Whitley, Wayne and Russell counties to the CWD surveillance zone. Adding those counties would automatically initiate carcass-transport restrictions, a prohibition on deer rehabilitation and a baiting ban within the surveillance zone; staff recommended that the commissioner be authorized to align baiting rules with other surveillance zones by lifting the broad baiting ban in limited, case-by-case situations.

Hart also recommended modest expansion of the department's deer-scrape study to the new surveillance zone to improve detection efforts. Commissioners asked about captive facilities in the zone, target sample sizes (staff said roughly 100–300 animals per county depending on design, generally aiming toward 300 sample 'points' total in those counties), and whether mandatory check stations would be needed; staff said early indications are that mandatory checks should not be necessary because voluntary sampling has met targets in most counties.

The commission moved the action items as submitted and approved them in a roll-call vote; staff will implement the surveillance zone restrictions and expand sampling plans.

Next steps: staff will finalize the surveillance-zone order, coordinate carcass-transport restrictions and baiting guidance, expand the scrape study per the approved plan and return updates to the commission.