The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission wants to remind hunters of the risk of chronic wasting disease or CWD.
The disease is most commonly spread in deer, elk, moose, and caribou carcasses transported over long distances.
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FWC has a video breaking down the new rules to keep CWD from spreading in the state.
It highlights what hunters can and cannot bring back to Florida.
The video was produced by Wildlife Alert, a nonprofit reward program designed to encourage citizens to report wildlife violations.
“Wildlife Alert fully supports the FWC’s efforts to stop CWD from entering into Florida’s deer herd,” said Virginia Brock, the Chair of Wildlife Alert board of directors. “If CWD enters Florida, it will have serious impacts on our native deer forever.”
As of July 2021, people are prohibited from importing or possessing high-risk parts of all members of the deer family from anywhere outside of Florida.
People can bring in:
- Deboned meat
- Finished taxidermy mounts
- Clean hides and antlers
- Skulls, skull caps, and teeth if tissue has been removed.
Deer harvested from a property in Georgia or Alabama may be imported into Florida if the property is under the same ownership and is bisected by the Florida state line.
CWD has been found in 26 states and three Canadian provinces. It has not been detected in Florida.
There is a grant from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida supporting efforts to push this information about CWD and the new rules.
For every “deer tag” purchased, $25 goes to hunting safety programs, managing public hunting land, and training in archery and other shooting sports.