IN.gov - Skip Navigation

Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.

Fish & Wildlife > Wildlife Resources > Wildlife Diseases > Summary of Changes to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Rules Summary of Changes to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Rules

Effective October 2003

Import Restrictions on Cervid Live Animals, Embryos, and Semen.

Limit import restrictions to cervid species that are known to be susceptible to CWD:

  1. Elk, Wapiti, and Red Deer.
  2. Sika Deer, Japanese Deer, and related species.
  3. Mule Deer
  4. Whitetail Deer.
  5. Any species that is diagnosed with CWD.
 Live animals and embryos may be imported if the following conditions are met:
  1. The state of origin meets the following requirements:
    1. Animal health officials have the authority to quarantine for CWD;
    2. State law requires CWD positives be reported to animal health officials;
    3. State of origin is engaged in surveillance for CWD in captive and free-ranging cervid populations; and
    4. CWD has not been diagnosed in any cervid within the last 5 years.
  2. The herd of origin meets the following requirements:
    1. Enrolled in an official CWD monitoring program for at least 5 years.
    2. No animal in the herd, from the herd, or traced to the herd has been diagnosed as CWD positive within the last 5 years.

Live animals may ship directly to slaughter in Indiana under the following conditions:

  1. A pre-entry permit is obtained from the state veterinarian.
  2. All animals are identified.
  3. A certificate of veterinary inspection is obtained for the animals, moves with the animals, and is presented at the slaughter plant.
  4. Animals are moved directly to a slaughtering establishment licensed by the BOAH or the USDA without stopping and unloading elsewhere in the state.
  5. The state veterinarian is given an opportunity to collect a sample from each animal for disease (CWD) testing.
  6. Offal from the animals is disposed of by a licensed rendering service or at a licensed landfill.

Live animals and carcasses testing negative for CWD using an official test may move into the state. (Currently, no official live-animal test exists.)

Semen may be imported if the following conditions are met:

  1. Semen donor is not a CWD-positive, CWD-suspect, or CWD-exposed animal.
  2. The semen donor has not been kept on a premise where a CWD-positive animal has been kept within the last 60 months.
  3. The semen donor is not an offspring of a CWD-positive animal.

Herd Registration Program

Registration program continues to apply to all cervid species.

An animal must be identified at the earliest of the following:

  1. At the time the animal is moved onto the premises.
  2. At the time the animal is moved off of the premises.
  3. At the time the animal is held for testing, vaccination, or veterinary care.
  4. At the time the animal is held for collection of any kind (semen, embryo, antler, etc.).
  5. Requires an animal moving intrastate be identified. Allows the state veterinarian to require a carcass be identified.

Record keeping requirements include:

  1. Record of animals in the herd, including the date each animal is identified and the event triggering its identification;
  2. Record of all animals added to the herd and the source of those animals; and
  3. Record of animals that are removed from the herd, the animals' destinations, and the causes for removal (death, sale, escape, etc.).

Stay Connected

You are leaving the IN.gov website. By clicking OK, you will be taken to a website that is not affiliated with the State of Indiana and may have different privacy and security policies. The State of Indiana is not responsible for, and does not endorse, guarantee, or monitor content, availability, viewpoints, products, or services that are offered or expressed on this non IN.gov portal website.

Indiana Outdoor - Buy hunting and fishing licenses