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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Monday it's identified a suspected case of chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease, in a wild white-tailed deer near Bemidji.

Officials say it's the first time a wild deer in that area is suspected of having the disease. Last year, 

“While disappointing, this find is not completely unexpected,” Kelly Straka, wildlife section manager for the DNR, said in a statement Monday. “We’re announcing this preliminary CWD positive result to encourage hunters in the Bemidji area to have their deer tested.”

The adult male deer was harvested opening weekend of the firearms deer season about 10 miles south of Bemidji, in deer permit area 184.

More tests are needed to confirm the infection, which can spread in the deer population through direct and indirect contact with infected deer. The DNR said final testing results are expected later this week.

The DNR is encouraging hunters in the area to have their deer tested so that the agency can plan its response. Management of the disease may include special season hunting and targeted culling.

CWD sampling was mandated in deer permit area 184 on opening weekend. More than 1,200 deer have been tested from that area this fall, with about 700 test results received. The preliminary case reported Monday is the only one found so far.

Minnesota News

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Monday it's identified a suspected case of chronic wasting disease in a white-tailed deer near Bemidji. Officials say it's the first time a wild deer in that area is suspected of having the disease.

DNR: Suspected CWD case found in wild deer in Bemidji area for first time

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