With deer hunting season underway, I want to remind Illinois hunters about a free resource available to help protect our state’s deer population.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is offering free, voluntary testing kits to help monitor Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects deer and other members of the deer family.
Hunters can use these mail-in kits to collect and submit lymph node samples from harvested deer. Kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include instructions for collecting and submitting samples.
For years, I fought against IDNR’s controversial deer sharpshooting program, which disregarded the concerns of hunters and landowners. I welcomed the department’s decision earlier this year to end that program and move toward a more cooperative approach to managing CWD.
I believe hunters should be partners in protecting our deer population, and I encourage them to take advantage of this voluntary testing opportunity.
Request a free testing kit online.
