TPWD SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING

CWD MANAGEMENT RULES

OVERVIEW OF 2016 CWD ADOPTED RULES WITH AMENDMENTS

AND

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions Texas Parks and Wildlife Program Staff

CWD Management Rules

Will a TC1 breeder buck retain its status if it is sent to a DMP pen on a Class 1 or Class 2 release site?

Yes. A TC1 buck will retain its status as long as the buck is not commingled with does from a TC2 breeding facility. Utilizing free ranging does from a Class 2 release site will not downgrade the status of a TC1 buck, although it may detrimentally effect a TAHC Herd Certification Status if the buck returns to the breeding facility.

If I’ve ante-mortem tested 25% of my herd do I have until May 15, 2017 to submit the remaining 25%?

Yes. A deer breeder who has already performed live animal testing on 25% of the eligible-aged deer in the herd will have until May 15, 2017 to submit results for ante-mortem tests on an additional 25% of the eligible-aged deer in the herd.

The additional ante-mortem tests must come from deer that were present in the facility and of eligible age when the testing began.

If you pursue this testing option you must ensure that you retain enough deer from the original population to get the remainder of the CWD samples owed.

What are the requirements that apply to my facility during the ante-mortem testing process?

Deer breeders who choose to utilize ante-mortem testing for the purpose of upgrading to TC1 must:

• Provide a number of tests equal to 50% of the eligible-aged population on thedate ante-mortem testing began.

• Tests must be from the specific eligible-aged deer present in the facility on thedate that ante-mortem testing begins.

Under the new regulations there is no residency requirement and a facility will remain movement qualified throughout the ante-mortem testing process.

Although there are no restrictions on movement, the receipt of deer from a TC2 or TC3 facility during the ante-mortem testing process will disqualify the facility from upgrading to TC1 for a period of 6 months. Once the 6 months have passed you are able to begin ante-mortem testing but may not use the deer which were tested, or the tests performed, from the previous upgrade attempt.

If I am enrolled in the Texas Animal Health Commission program, but I am not a 5th year or Certified herd, does the 80% and 3.6% movement qualification requirements apply to deer 12 months and older?

Yes. If you are enrolled in the Texas Animal Health Commission program but are not a 5th Year or Certified herd the movement qualification requirements of 80% and 3.6% will apply to your facility and to deer that are 12 months of age or older.

If I have 5th year or Certified status in the Texas Animal Health Commission Herd Certification Program, do the 80% eligible mortality testing requirement and 3.6% minimum testing requirement apply?

No. Having 5th Year or Certified status in the TAHC Herd Certification Program results in Movement Qualified and TC1 status.

If I have reached the 80% mortality over the last 5 years but have not met the 3.6% minimum tests required can I utilize ante-mortem testing?

Yes, if you have met the 80% mortality testing over the last five years you are able to use ante-mortem testing at a 3:1 ratio to fulfill the 3.6% minimum testing requirement.

Overview of 2016 CWD Rules with Amendments 

June 21, 2016 

The following summarizes the chronic wasting disease (CWD) rules adopted by the TPW Commission on 

June 20, 2016. 

Deer Breeder CWD Rules  

Period 1 (effective date of rule thru 3/31/2019) 

1. From the effective date of the rule until March 31, 2017, a facility will be movement

qualified (MQ) if 20% of eligible mortalities have been tested since May 23, 2006, or if fewer

than five eligible mortalities have occurred in the facility.

2. Beginning April 1, 2017, a deer breeding facility must have tested 80% of the eligible

mortalities occurring in the previous report year to be MQ.

3. In order to qualify for no release site testing (TC1), a facility must:

a. Have Certified or “5th‐Year” status in TAHC Herd Certification Program; or

b. Have tested an average of at least 80% of eligible mortalities over the previous five

years, and satisfied the minimum testing requirement (sufficient tests on file to

equal or exceed 3.6% of the sum of the eligible‐age deer reported in the facility

inventory on the March 31 of each of the most recently completed 5 report years

plus the eligible mortalities during the same period); or

c. Have ante‐mortem tested 50% of herd.  Note: By ante‐mortem testing a minimum

of 25%, a facility may temporarily attain TC1 status prior to May 15, 2017.  In order

to maintain TC1 status after May 15, 2017, the facility must supply the remainder of

ante‐mortem samples to reach the 50% testing level by no later than May 15, 2017.

A facility will be able to test up to TC1 via 50% ante‐mortem testing after May 15,

2017 as well, but the full 50% must be provided for the facility to be upgraded.

4. Facilities that are not TC3 (CWD trace herds), and not TC1, will be classified as TC2 and

release site testing will be required at associated (Class II) release sites.

5. All TC2 release sites (Class II) must CWD‐test the first 15 deer harvested per season through

the end of the 2018/2019 hunting season.

Period 2 (04/01/2019 and on) 

1. All deer breeding facilities are either MQ, not movement qualified (NMQ) or TC3.

2. Facilities must test 80% of eligible mortalities that occur each report year to be MQ.

3. Facilities that have not tested 80% of eligible mortalities annually will be NMQ.

4. There will be no release site testing for any facilities, except for non‐compliant sites as

indicated below under Release Site Provisions.

TC3 or CWD Trace Facilities 

1. Irrespective of the time periods described above, CWD positive and trace facilities (TC3) will

be required to test 100% of eligible mortalities in the pen, and 100% of hunter harvested

deer at Class III release sites.

2. All deer released on Class III release sites must be tagged with an RFID or NUES tag.

Transition Provisions 

1. 2015/2016 Class II Release Sites will be reset back to Class I if they complied with all interim

release site requirements.

2. 2016/2017 Class II Release Sites that are in compliance with all release site requirements

will be reset back to Class I if all TC2 facilities that contributed deer during 2016/2017 “test

up” to TC1 status by ante‐mortem testing 50% of the herd by May 15, 2017.

3. 2016/2017 Class II Release Sites will be reset back to Class I if all the breeder deer liberated

after the effective date of the rule (approximately August 15, 2016) and prior to October 1,

2016 are harvested and CWD‐tested during the 2016‐2017 hunting season, and no

additional deer are released from a TC2 or TC3 facility after October 1, 2016.

Release Site Provisions 

1. A harvest log must be maintained on site and each deer harvested must be entered in the

log the day of harvest – Applies to Class II and Class III release sites, and DMP sites that

receive TC2 deer.

2. All breeder deer release sites must be high‐fenced (7 ft.) and the landowner must ensure all

deer remain on the release site.

3. Failure to comply with release site testing requirements will result in release site testing

requirements carrying forward until testing requirements are fulfilled.

4. Failure to comply with release site testing requirements will make the release site ineligible

to receive a DMP permit or additional breeder deer for release until testing requirements

are fulfilled.

5. Liberated deer must have access to the entire acreage listed on the release site registration

form, except that deer may be excluded from areas for safety reasons (i.e., airstrips) or for

the purpose of protecting crops, orchards, ornamental plants, lawns, etc.

6. A release site owner may notify the department to modify the acreage of a registered

release site and the release site requirements will expand to the new acreage.

Other Breeder Deer Provisions 

1. Each breeding facility herd that has been permitted for at least 6 months on March 31 mustprovide a minimum number of CWD test results annually, irrespective of whether there aremortalities.  The minimum number of post‐mortem tests required is equal to 3.6% of theeligible‐aged inventory on March 31 of a given report year plus the eligible mortalities thatoccurred during that report year.  Ante‐mortem tests may be substituted as provided for in#2 below.

2. A deer breeder may substitute ante‐mortem tests for required post‐mortem tests on a 3:1basis to meet testing requirements.

3. Ante‐mortem tests must be conducted on animals at least 16 months of age.

4. An individual deer may be the source of a valid ante‐mortem test result no more frequently

than every two years.  A deer may be re‐tested within the 2‐year period if the initial sample

produced an invalid test result (i.e., “insufficient follicles”).

5. There is no residency requirement for an animal to qualify for ante‐mortem testing.

6. Ante‐mortem tests may be conducted on retropharyngeal lymph node, rectal mucosa or

tonsillar tissue collected by or under the supervision of a qualified licensed veterinarian.

7. After May 15, 2017, ante‐mortem test results provided to upgrade to TC1 status must have

been collected within the 6‐month period prior to the status upgrade being sought.

8. A facility will be disqualified from being upgraded to TC1 if deer from a TC2 or TC3 facility

are introduced into that facility after ante‐mortem testing has begun.

9. If a facility receives deer from a facility of lower status, the receiving facility must stay down‐

graded for 2 years.  TC1 is the highest status and TC3 is the lowest status.

10. If a TC1 facility fails to test 80% of eligible mortalities in a report year, the facility will

become NMQ and be will be downgraded. The facility will have 60 days to provide

substitution tests as described in #2 above to regain MQ and TC1 status, otherwise the

facility will remain downgraded for 2 years. MQ status may be regained at any time.

11. A new facility will “inherit” the lowest status level from among all facilities contributing deer

to that facility.  Example: if a new facility receives deer from TC1 facilities, the new facility

will be classified as a TC1.

DMP 

1. If a DMP breeding pen receives deer from a TC2 facility or Class II Release Site, the DMP

release site must CWD test the first 15 hunter harvested deer each season through the

2018/2019 hunting season, beginning the season following the release of deer from the

DMP pen.

2. TC3 deer may not be transferred to a DMP facility.

3. Class 3 release sites may not conduct DMP activities.

4. If a breeder buck is commingled with does from a lower status herd in a DMP facility, and

that breeder buck is returned to the breeding facility, the breeding facility status will be

down‐graded.

TTT 

1. Prior to issuance of a TTT permit, all TTT trap sites must provide 15 valid post‐mortem CWD

samples collected after the Saturday nearest September 30.  Exception: TTT trap sites in

urban areas may utilize samples collected and tested between April 1 and the time of

application. 

2. All TTT deer must be tagged with an RFID button tag in addition to the existing tattoo

requirement.

3. RFID numbers must be reported to TPWD.

4. No TTT trapping from any breeder deer release sites.

TTP 

1. TTP Permittees must supply 15 CWD samples at the end of the season.

2. CWD samples must be provided on 100% of deer taken by TTP on Class III release sites.