TPWD Killed All Deer at Kerrville Facility for No Reason

AUSTIN — The National Veterinary Service Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, recently informed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) that further testing did not confirm a suspected case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a 14-month-old captive male white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area (WMA) research facility.

The sample from the 14-month-old buck was collected in October during routine testing as part of ongoing research at the Kerr WMA. Samples were sent to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab (TVMDL), collaborating with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (WVDL). The sample was processed by WVDL, and TVMDL confirmed the findings through digital images of the slide. Following federal regulations, WVDL sent the sample to NVSL for confirmatory testing.

The October testing followed a previous presumptive positive result in early 2023 from a doe. Additional investigations and testing on deer, equipment, water, and feed sites revealed no confirmed cases, but prions were detected in some environmental samples.

As a precaution, TPWD euthanized all deer at the facility in November, collecting post-mortem samples, which showed no additional cases. TPWD plans a third round of environmental sampling and postmortem tissue evaluation using RT-QuIC and PMCA.

“We had to end the use of the research herd to prevent disease spread,” said Wildlife Division Director, John Silovsky. “Early detection and containment are crucial in managing CWD.”

The WMA will continue mandatory testing of hunter-harvested deer and implement carcass disposal and movement restrictions. Despite the absence of a formal CWD surveillance zone, precautions are being taken.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease in deer, elk, moose, and related species. Clinical signs include weight loss, stumbling, loss of coordination, and behavioral changes. Early detection through surveillance testing is vital to reducing disease spread.

In Texas, CWD was first discovered in 2012 and has since been detected in captive and free-ranging cervids. For more information, visit TPWD’s CWD page and Kerr WMA's web page.