The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) confirmed two positive cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) along the Lanier/Berrien County line.
The DNR will hold a meeting on August 21, 2025, at Lanier County High School in Lakeland to discuss CWD and its possible effects on the deer herd in affected areas. Experts will be at the meeting and will answer questions from citizens.
With the initial discovery, WRD established the CWD Management Area (CMA), which includes the county where the positive samples were found and any county touching a 5-mile radius around the location. The current CMA includes Lanier and Berrien counties.
As hunting season nears, WRD wants to make sure you stay informed about hunting in Lanier and Berrien counties. The DNR wants you to hunt, test and educate.
- HUNT: Yes! Please continue to hunt in Lanier and Berrien counties.
- TEST: We encourage hunters to have all harvested deer from Lanier or Berrien tested for CWD. Testing is free and helps WRD monitor the deer herd in these counties. Hunters can take harvested deer to a pre-approved processer or taxidermist location, or drop the head of the harvested deer off at an established freezer location. Find all sampling locations at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd.
- EDUCATE: Tell others to keep hunting in the area and that testing is free and provides assistance in monitoring CWD.