Deer hunting season is coming up in a few weeks in Central PA.

Senator Jake Corman asked the Game Commission to educate the community on chronic wasting disease and how to stop the spread.

Richard Novak from State College, has been hunting his whole life with his father in South West PA.

“I hunt during archery season for deer, also regular rifle and flintlock season,” Novak, said. “I also go after small game and turkeys.”

Wednesday night, hunters like Novak heard from the PA Game Commission talk about chronic wasting disease and that it’s been found in Huntingdon County deer several times in the past year.
CWD affect the brain and nervous systems of infected deer and elk, eventually killing them.

The Game Commission says hunters can help stop the spread of this disease.

“Not transporting what we call high risk parts out of the disease management area, not using urine based attractants in the field, within the disease management area, and also not feeding wild deer or elk within a disease management area,” Courtney Colley, CWD Communications Specialist, for the PA Game Commission said.

Novak says he learned as soon as you kill deer, you should have it tested for CWD.

“The Game Commission has some sample collection bins that hunters can take their deer part to for testing and there’s also an online testing service,” Novak, said.

The Game Commission says research shows humans cannot get the disease from deer, but studies are inconclusive if we can obtain it by eating deer meat.