Farm-Raised Deer Herd Status Programs

Program overview

​Enrollment in the CWD HS program is voluntary and free of charge. However, if you wish to move live farm-raised deer (FRD) within or outside of Wisconsin, you must be enrolled in the CWD Herd Status (HS) Program for at least 5 years. (See ATCP 10.56 or cervid movement requirements for more information.)

If more than one farm-raised deer herd or bovine will be located on the same premises, the herds may need to be medically separated.

FRD identification requirements

FRD in your herd that are 12 months of age or older must have 2 individual identifications (IDs) – One official and the second either official or unique to the herd. At least one of the identifications must be visible. Live FRD of any age leaving your farm must have these 2 individual IDs.

To enroll in the CWD HS program, you must submit to DATCP:

• ​An application to register your herd of FRD and pay applicable fees.
  
• An application to enroll your registered herd in the CWD HS program, free of charge, including a completed herd census of all the deer and the 2 individual IDs of each deer in the herd. The census must be performed within 30 days of application. Include a copy of any movement papers to show from where the animals originated.
  
• A physical inventory of all deer conducted by your herd veterinarian verifying the herd census information.
  
• A veterinarian’s statement that (s)he has established a client-patient relationship and no deer show signs of CWD.
  

​To remain in the CWD HS program, you must:

• ​Identify all FRD in the herd before they are 12 months old with 2 individual IDs described above
  
• Perform CWD testing on FRD 12 months or older
  
• Call the herd veterinarian within 24 hours if you see any signs of CWD
  
• Complete and send to DATCP an annual census that identifies all FRD added to or removed (including by escape) from the herd since the last census.
  
• Complete a physical inventory with your herd veterinarian every 3 years.
  
• Submit a veterinarian’s statement that (s)he has maintained a valid client-patient relationship and that there have been no CWD signs or positive results in the past year
  
• Report all escapes and returns to DATCP (608-224-4886 or 608-224-4896) and to your local DNR warden within 24 hours.
  
• Create and maintain complete herd records for each FRD
  

​​​Assembling new herds

If you assemble a new herd, you may receive the CWD, Tuberculosis and Brucellosis status date of the most recently enrolled herd you buy from, but only if you:

• Apply for enrollment within 90 days of receiving the first FRD
  
• Provide all the information required in the initial census including two forms of identification, birth month and year, name and address of the keeper, their location and premises code of the herd origin (if any), and the date each FRD was added to the new herd. 
  
• Test for CWD any FRD 12 months or older that dies or is killed before your herd is enrolled in the CWD Herd Status Program. 
  
• Are not repopulating a location where a herd was killed because of exposure to or infection with CWD. 
  
• Move the deer in compliance with ATCP 10.55 and 10.56.

​Herd additions

To add FRD to your enrolled herd, you must comply with applicable movement regulations for in-state movement; or imported deer. If you add deer from a herd that is not enrolled in the CWD HS program, your herd will lose all CWD status.

​Record keeping

Owners of a herd enrolled in the CWD HS program must keep all records for at least 5 years and must make them available to DATCP for inspection and copying upon request.

Record Keeping Requirements

• Online sampler certification for owners and veterinarians (credit card)
  
• Paper application (check or money order):
  
• Owner sampler
• Veterinarian sampler

For Qualified Tuberculosis-free herd status, all captive cervids in the herd, 12 months of age or older, and any animals under 12 months of age that are not natural additions, must be administered one official test for tuberculosis within a seven month period with results indicating no evidence of bovine tuberculosis. The qualified herd status remains in effect for 12 months following the qualifying test. 

For Accredited Tuberculosis-free herd status, all captive cervids in the herd, 12 months of age or older, and any animals under 12 months of age that are not natural additions, must pass two official tests for tuberculosis conducted at a 9 to 15 month interval with no evidence of bovine tuberculosis. To maintain status as an accredited herd, the herd must test negative to an official tuberculosis test within 33 to 39 months from the anniversary date of the second consecutive test with no evidence of tuberculosis disclosed (that is, the test on which the herd was recognized as accredited or the accrediting test). Additional individual animal testing may be necessary to maintain status of a tuberculosis accredited herd when animals moving into the herd originate from non-accredited herds.

For herds applying for certified status based on the purchase of farm-raised deer from a certified herd, applicants must apply for status not later than 90 days after the applicant first acquires the farm-raised deer from the prior certified herd. The anniversary date of the purchased herd will be the same as the seller’s.

Every application for tuberculosis herd status must include a nonrefundable $50 fee for qualified status or $150 for three year accredited status. A copy of the whole herd Tuberculosis test results must accompany the application.​

DATCP maintains a list of USDA approved cervid TB accredited veterinarians who are authorized to collect samples for cervid TB serologic tests. 

For initial certification, all sexually intact cervids in the herd, 6 months of age or older, must have two consecutive negative tests 9 to 15 months apart. The anniversary date will be the initial test sample date or, if herd status is based on purchased animals, the anniversary date will be the same as the seller’s. 

For continuous certification, all test-eligible animals (sexually intact, 12 months of age or older) in the herd must have a negative test between 33 and 39 months of the previous anniversary date. Additional individual animal testing may be necessary to maintain status of a brucellosis free certified herd when animals moving into the herd originate from non-certified herds.

For herds applying for certified status based on the purchase of farm-raised deer from a certified herd, applicants must apply for status not later than 90 days after the applicant first acquires the farm-raised deer from the prior certified herd.

Every application ​for certification must include a nonrefundable $150 fee for three year certification.  A copy of the whole herd brucellosis test results must accompany this application.​