CONCORDIA PARISH, La. (KALB) – On January 9, three days after Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease in a deer in Concordia Parish, LDWF issued a Declaration of Emergency (DE).
This DE expands the already-existing CWD control area to include all of Concordia and Catahoula parishes as well as parts of Avoyelles, LaSalle, Point Coupee and Rapides parishes.
(January 9, 2026)(LDWF)
The DE prohibits baiting and supplemental feeding of deer within the CWD control area’s enhanced mitigation zone. Additionally, deer carcasses cannot be taken outside of the control area, except for the specific parts listed or with a taxidermy permit.
Supplemental feeding and baiting is allowed in the CWD Buffer Zone, but only by non-stationary, mechanical or electronic broadcast methods.
They emphasized that this is NOT a state-wide feeding ban.
LDWF said the DE will remain in effect for 180 days or until a Notice of Intent (NOI) is written to establish permanent rules and replace the DE.
Since CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022, 49 deer have tested positive.
Read the full Declaration of Emergency below:
LDWF provided the following information about Chronic Wasting Disease:
CWD is infectious, always fatal, and has no treatment. CWD is part of a group of diseases know as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue in deer, which leads to excessive salivation, neurological symptoms, emaciation, and death of the animal. Additionally, CWD is shed by infected deer onto the landscape and can persist in the environment indefinitely, spreading the disease to other deer. Emergency action is required to mitigate further spread of the disease.
Although CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend against the human consumption of deer known to be infected with CWD. Also, it is recommended that people hunting in areas known to harbor CWD-infected deer have their deer tested for the disease prior to consuming the animals. LDWF will provide testing for hunter-harvested deer free of charge.
For more information about CWD, visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cwd.
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