The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is working to protect deer populations by reducing the risk of chronic wasting disease or CWD from spreading into or throughout Florida in the following ways. CWD, a contagious disease that is always fatal to members of the deer family, has been detected in 30 states and 4 Canadian provinces, but not in Florida. |
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Rules prohibit importing whole carcasses and high-risk parts of all members of the deer family
If you’ll be hunting out-of-state, please be aware of rules that went into effect in 2021, which prohibit importing or possessing whole carcasses or high-risk parts of all species of the deer family originating outside of Florida. If you harvest a deer, elk, moose or caribou during an out-of-state hunt, you may import the following into Florida:
- De-boned meat
- Finished taxidermy mounts
- Clean hides and antlers
- Skulls, skull caps and teeth if all soft tissue has been removed
There is one exception to the rules: deer harvested from a property in Georgia or Alabama that is bisected by the Florida state line AND under the same ownership may be imported into Florida.
To assist with pre-hunt prep, we’ve provided videos that show how to skin, debone and cape out harvested deer. Find these videos and more information about the rules.
CWD Monitoring Sweepstakes: Donate deer heads harvested in certain counties to be eligible to win valuable prizes
Another way the FWC is working to protect Florida deer populations is by testing deer for CWD. To support the need for more testing in specific areas, hunters who donate heads of white-tailed deer harvested from Taylor, Dixie, Lafayette, Gilchrist, DeSoto, Lee, Hendry and Collier counties are entered to win one of five prize packages. Each prize package is valued at $1,000 and contains a cooler, trail camera, binoculars and a game processing knife kit. Those donating antlered deer may remove and keep the skull cap and antlers. Learn more about sweepstakes prizes and rules and find donation locations at FLCWDsweepstakes.com.
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Check out new, 5-minute video to learn more about CWD
Helping people understand CWD is essential to the FWC’s proactive approach. While CWD is a complex topic, the FWC has produced an educational video that breaks it down in an easy-to-understand format. This animated, 5-minute video covers what causes CWD, how it’s transmitted, why it’s one of the most serious wildlife diseases, and how the FWC and its partners are working to prevent the disease from spreading into Florida. See the new "About CWD video." Learn more at MyFWC.com/CWD.
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