isease Management Area (DMA) regulations have been imposed in additional counties after deer were detected with chronic wasting disease in new areas.
DMA 3 changes
For the 2023-24 hunting season, DMA3 encompassed Carroll, Floyd, Montgomery, Patrick, and Pulaski counties. Throughout the year, 1449 deer were tested. Seven had chronic wasting disease.
One of the infected deer was found in Carroll, which was the first detection in that county. Because of positive detections in Carroll, Floyd, and Montgomery that were within 10 miles of their county borders Franklin, Roanoke, and Wythe counties will be added to DMA3 for the 2024 –25 deer hunting season, DWR announced.
New DMA 4
Over 2500 deer were tested across Virginia outside of DMAs and an infection was found originating in Tazewell County.
Because of that infection DWR has established a fourth DMA that includes Tazewell, Bland, and Smyth counties, DWR also announced.
Regulations now apply
For the counties new to a DMA, certain regulations went into effect immediately, including a prohibition on white-tailed deer fawn rehabilitation.
Being in a DMA also restricts carcass transport.
For DMA 3 counties, whole deer and any parts containing brain and/or spinal cord tissues that came from Franklin, Roanoke, or Wythe counties may only be transported within Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke, and Wythe counties.
For DMA 4, deer and the aforementioned parts originating from Bland, Smyth, or Tazewell counties are limited to transport within counties in DMA3 and DMA4.
Additionally, when chronic wasting is detected, a year-round cervid feeding ban goes into effect within 25 miles of the detection. Therefore, effective immediately, Bedford, Botetourt, Henry, Russell, Smyth, and Washington counties are added to the year-round feeding ban due to the location of the new positive detections within Floyd, Montgomery, and Tazewell counties.
Detections in other DMAs
DMA1 includes Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties. Since July 2023, 685 deer were sampled and 54 were confirmed to be infected. Infections were found in all four counties.
DMA2 is comprised of Arlington, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, Page, Prince William, and Rappahannock counties. A total of 3160 deer were sampled and nine were infected. Those infections were in Culpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun, Rappahannock and Madison County.
No changes were made for DMA 1 and 2.
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