Emergency Baiting Ban Issued for Louisiana Deer Hunters in CWD Control Area

Highlights

• Emergency declaration expands CWD Control Area to include all of Catahoula and Concordia parishes plus portions of four others
• Baiting banned in Enhanced Mitigation Zone; limited mechanical broadcast allowed in Buffer Zone starting Feb. 1
• Deer carcass transport restrictions prohibit export of certain parts from control area
• 180-day declaration subject to Wildlife and Fisheries Commission ratification with permanent rules to follow
• Louisiana’s 49th CWD case came from 3.5-year-old buck voluntarily submitted for testing at Richard K. Yancey WMA

Louisiana Issues Emergency CWD Declaration Expanding Control Area to Six Parishes

Baiting and feeding restrictions take effect Feb. 1 in response to Concordia Parish deer disease detection.

CONCORDIA PARISH, La. (KPEL News) — Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth has issued a Declaration of Emergency in response to the Chronic Wasting Disease detection in Concordia Parish in December, expanding the state’s CWD Control Area to cover six parishes.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said the declaration includes all of Catahoula and Concordia parishes and portions of Avoyelles, LaSalle, Pointe Coupee and Rapides parishes. The existing CWD control area is being expanded to include these new areas.

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What the Emergency Declaration Means for Hunters

The declaration creates two zones within the CWD Control Area with different restrictions on baiting and feeding.

Baiting and feeding are prohibited entirely in the Enhanced Mitigation Zone. The Buffer Zone allows baiting only through non-stationary, mechanical or electronic broadcast methods. These restrictions take effect Feb. 1, 2026.

READ MORE: CWD Found in Concordia Parish Deer: What Hunters Should Know

Hunters should check the official maps on the LDWF website to determine which zone their hunting area falls within. The restrictions are designed to reduce deer congregation at feeding sites, which can speed up disease transmission.

Deer Carcass Transport Rules

The declaration includes deer carcass transport rules that prohibit the export of certain deer parts from the CWD Control Area.

Hunters can transport the following out of the control area:

• Meat that is cut and wrapped
• Meat that has been boned out
• Quarters or other meat portions with no part of the spinal column or head attached
• Antlers and clean skull plates with antlers
• Cleaned skulls without tissue attached
• Capes and tanned hides
• Finished taxidermy mounts
• Cleaned cervid teeth

Deer heads may be transported out of the control area solely for taxidermy purposes by waiver. The full declaration and map are available at the LDWF website.

Response Plan and Timeline

LDWF has put its CWD Response Plan into action and will continue ongoing surveillance efforts in the affected area. The declaration is effective for 180 days, subject to ratification by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.

A Notice of Intent will be introduced to create permanent rules for the CWD control area while this declaration is in effect. After final approval by the commission, the NOI would replace the emergency declaration.

The 3.5-year-old buck that triggered the declaration was voluntarily submitted for sampling by a hunter at Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the positive test. This marks the first confirmed CWD case in Concordia Parish.

Louisiana’s CWD Numbers

Louisiana detected its first CWD-positive deer in 2022. The state now has 49 confirmed cases total, including single detections in both Catahoula and Concordia parishes. The remaining cases have all been found in Tensas Parish.

The disease shows no signs of slowing down in Louisiana. Each new detection prompts an expansion of control areas and tighter restrictions on hunters and landowners in affected regions.

Understanding the Disease

CWD is infectious, always fatal, and has no treatment. The disease is part of a group called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue in deer, leading to excessive salivation, neurological symptoms, emaciation, and death.

CWD is also 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 stop further spread of the disease.

Infected deer may not show symptoms for months or years. Eventually, they show weight loss, excessive salivation, frequent drinking and urination, lack of coordination, circling behavior, and loss of fear of humans.

No Statewide Feeding Ban

The emergency declaration does not include a statewide feeding ban. Restrictions apply only within the designated CWD Control Area.

Hunters outside the control area can continue normal baiting and feeding practices under existing regulations.

Human Health and Testing

Although CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend against eating deer known to be infected with CWD.

Anyone hunting in areas where CWD-infected deer have been found should have their deer tested before eating it. LDWF provides this testing free of charge to Louisiana hunters.

The disease has been found in 36 states and five Canadian provinces. Louisiana became the 29th state to detect CWD when the first case was confirmed in Tensas Parish in February 2022.

What Hunters Should Do

Hunters in the newly expanded control area should:

• Review the official CWD Control Area maps to determine if their hunting location falls within the Enhanced Mitigation Zone or Buffer Zone
• Remove all bait from hunting areas in the Enhanced Mitigation Zone before Feb. 1
• Adjust baiting methods in the Buffer Zone to comply with mechanical broadcast requirements
• Submit harvested deer for free CWD testing
• Follow deer carcass transport restrictions when moving deer parts out of the control area
• Stay informed about additional restrictions or rule changes