Chronic Wasting Disease was found in an extremely thin 3-and-a-half-year-old buck who lost all fear of people in the Panhandle in Texas County, just south of Optima.
Under the state's Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan, state officials have established a selective surveillance area where the deer was located, according to an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) press release. Because the buck was inside an existing surveillance area, officials expanded the range slightly.
There are other areas under surveillance including parts of Cimarron, Woodward, Major, Woods and McCurtain Counties.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a contagious fatal neurological disease that spreads among animals in the cervid family, including deer and elk. Symptoms include animals becoming thin or "wasted," excessive salivation and thirst, a staggering gait, wide stance or not being able to hold up their heads.
Animals with the illness might not show signs of having it for years, and there is no vaccine or treatment for it. ODWC leaders say staff will continue watching for evidence of the disease.
"We will be working through our response plan, and our ultimate goal is to ensure healthy and well-managed deer with as little impact to either the resource or our constituents as possible," said Joey McAllister, Wildlife Programs Supervisor with the department.
Transmission of the disease from wild animals to people or livestock has never been documented. But it is recommended for people to not eat any part of an animal diagnosed with or showing signs of the disease.
Earlier, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials sent notice of a separate deer killed on the road with the disease near the Oklahoma-Texas border close to the edge of the Panhandle.
Hunters can help with detection through voluntary testing of harvested game.
More public attention
ODWC officials have been monitoring the illness for years, as the state has been sampling dead deer tissue since 1999. It's also been a focus for state lawmakers in recent years.
In 2024, the Chronic Wasting Disease Genetic Improvement Act made a pilot program for releasing captive-raised native deer bred to withstand the illness. This has spurred questions about biological safety and regulatory authority, according to a recent ODWC press release.
ODWC officials say releasing captive-raised deer is not a viable way to manage the disease.
"Instead, ODWC believes liberal deer harvest, voluntary testing and limiting human movement of deer could be effective strategies," according to the press release.
The department is proposing to make permanent emergency rules for the act. The department has emergency rules in place that say genetically selected deer may only be released under very specific circumstances. Wildlife officials are proposing to make those rules permanent.
After public comment ends on Nov. 6, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission will vote on the rules. If approved, the regulations will go to the Oklahoma Legislature before heading to the governor's office.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
