MARTIN, S.D. – State officials say chronic wasting disease in deer has spread eastward in South Dakota.
The state Game, Fish and Parks Department said Friday samples collected from a sick deer found near Martin in Bennett County confirmed the animal was in the late stages of the disease.
The agency says it’s the first confirmed case of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging deer or elk in Bennett County.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal brain condition in deer, elk and moose. It has previously been found in deer and elk in southwestern South Dakota.
Restrictions on moving deer carcasses in South Dakota will go into effect beginning with the 2020 hunting season in an attempt to limit the spread of the disease.
