CWD Information for Deer Hunters in Oneida and Madison Counties

The discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the wild white-tailed deer herd in Oneida county has prompted DEC to adopt regulations to help minimize the spread of this disease. Part of these regulations have established a CWD containment area in portions of Oneida and Madison Counties.

The containment area (see below map) includes the Oneida County municipalities, including the cities of Rome, Sherrill, and Utica, as well as the towns of Annsville, Augusta, Floyd, Kirkland, Lee, Marcy, New Hartford, Trenton, Vernon, Verona, Vienna, Western, Westmoreland, and Whitestown. In addition, the Madison County towns of Lenox, Stockbridge and the city of Oneida are also be included. Special regulations impacting how harvested deer and specific deer parts may be possessed, transported and disposed are in effect.

Map showing location of the CWD containment area

Map of Oneida-Madison County CWD Containment Area

Within this containment area, it is illegal to:

Move certain animal parts OUT of the containment area.
- Un-butchered deer carcasses.
- the brain, eyes, spinal cord, tonsils, intestinal tract, spleen, or retropharyngeal lymph nodes (found in the upper neck and jaw area), or any portion of such parts, or any carcass containing such parts.
- Disposal of all deer carcasses and parts, except those parts removed in the field during normal field dressing, must be at a landfill within the CWD containment area or via a commercial or municipal waste removal operator.
Possess any deer killed by a motor vehicle in the containment area. (No permit for possession of a deer carcass will be issued to the vehicle owner or to any other party.)
Collect, sell, possess or transport deer urine taken within the containment area.
Butcher the carcass of a deer taken from the CWD containment area prior to a mandatory examination by DEC.

All wild white-tailed deer taken within the CWD containment area during any open hunting season must be submitted for examination at the DEC check station (see below), no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day after it was taken. Hunters may also obtain check station information by contacting DEC's Watertown office at (315) 785-2261 or DEC's Utica office at (315) 793-2555.

Deer may not be skinned or butchered. No carcass parts, except those removed as part of normal field dressing, may be removed prior to examination.

Any person submitting a deer for examination must allow DEC to collect and retain tissue samples from the deer in order to test for the presence of CWD. Samples collected may include portions of the brain, tonsils, and the retropharyngeal lymph nodes. This may entail the removal of the head. Arrangements to allow retention of trophy heads will be accommodated.

Directions to Check Station:

This mandatory check station is for deer harvested in the towns within Oneida and Madison counties as indicated on the map to the right.

The check station is located approximately 3 miles southwest of downtown Rome just off of State Route 365 on Hoag Road.

Dates and Hours of Operation Will be From:
September 27 - December 21
Noon thru 7 PM

For more information on Chronic Wasting Disease visit our CWD page