FRANKFORT, Ky. – Harvesting a deer in Kentucky could be especially rewarding for hunters this season.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is inviting hunters statewide to submit samples from legally harvested and telechecked deer for a chance to win one of five regional prizes. The “Shoot for Samples” Regional Giveaway runs through Jan. 20, 2025, and aims to support Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s efforts to collect more samples for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing as part of its ongoing monitoring of the state’s wild deer population.
“Hunters play a crucial role in helping us understand the distribution and prevalence of CWD by collecting samples to submit for testing,” said Joe McDermott, deer program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “This giveaway shows our appreciation for their efforts, and we’re grateful to our sponsors for making it possible.”
The giveaway will take place across five regions in Kentucky: Bluegrass, Northeast, Southeast, Green River and Purchase. At the end of deer season, one winner from each region will be drawn and notified by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife staff. Prizes include gift cards valued between $500 and $1000 along with an Elite Carbon Era bow courtesy of Copperhead Guns & Range, First Choice Firearms, Uncle Lee’s and Double T Electric LLC.
Hunters are automatically entered in the giveaway when they drop off deer heads at CWD Sample Drop-off sites or submit lymph node samples using the department’s CWD Sample Mail-in Kits. Each sample submitted earns one entry into the giveaway. Hunters must abide by all bag limits and applicable rules and regulations for deer hunting. All samples submitted for the giveaway must come from deer harvested in Kentucky due to statewide carcass importation restrictions. Testing for CWD is free, with results available online within four to six weeks.
“We invite all hunters to take part in this exciting initiative,” McDermott said. “It’s a great way to support the health of Kentucky’s deer herd while enjoying the hunting season.”
Hunters in a CWD Surveillance Zone are reminded of important regulations during the modern gun hunting season. These regulations include transportation restrictions and a prohibition on baiting and feeding.
The CWD Surveillance Zone With Mandatory Check Stations includes Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall and McCracken counties. On the weekends of Nov. 9-11, Nov. 16-17 or Nov. 23-24, 2024, hunters in these counties must take deer carcasses to a CWD check station or a CWD Sample Drop-off site within the surveillance zone. Check stations will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Central) on these dates. Hunters who drop off deer heads at the CWD check stations or CWD Sample Drop-off sites on these dates will automatically be entered into the giveaway.
The CWD Surveillance Zone Without Mandatory Check Stations includes Breckinridge, Hardin and Meade counties. There are no mandatory check stations in this zone, but additional CWD Sample Drop-off Sites have been created so hunters don’t have to travel far to submit their deer.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal disease impacting white-tailed deer, elk and other members of the deer family. While no evidence suggests that CWD can infect people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people should not consume meat from an animal that has tested positive for CWD. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also advises against consuming any harvested game that appears sick or unhealthy.
Since 2002, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has CWD-tested more than 60,000 deer and 1,000 elk from across the state, sampling every county.
For more information on CWD and the “Shoot for Samples” giveaway, visit fw.ky.gov/cwd.
