As fall hunting seasons ramp up and thousands of West Virginians take to the woods, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources has a field work assignment. It has asked anyone who notices signs of wildlife disease or disease-related mortality, to report findings to the DNR.
Said Paul Johansen, chief of the Wildlife Resources Division, in a release last summer, “The Wildlife Resources Section relies on timely reports of wildlife health events from the public across the state to help monitor population health. We encourage the public to report sightings of possibly sick animals.” The state has provided an easy and online manner of reporting, through the ArcGIS Survey 123 app. This downloads on a mobile phone device and allows for detailed reporting and mapping of reports. One can also scan a QR code provided on the West Virginia DNR website.
“Users can upload pictures and report locations and other information of wildlife that appear to be sick, diseased or that have died. Information collected will allow the appropriate Wildlife Resources Section staff to determine if additional investigation is necessary,” stated the release.
The DNR tracks a number of diseases and conditions, both in game and general wildlife. Just as in human populations, if diseases are left unmanaged and unaddressed, outbreaks could kill or injure large numbers of wildlife. In some cases, such as rabies and avian flu, these diseases could also threaten domestic livestock, pets, and even transmit to human beings.
One condition in white-tailed deer is in its emergence among affected animals now. Hemorrhagic disease, according to the WV DNR, “is a natural virus in white-tailed deer that appears seasonally in late summer or early fall and ends around the first hard frost. On very rare occasions the condition can create significant death rates, but often does “not have any substantial effect on the population.” It spreads through the bite of a midge fly and has no effect on pets or humans. Meat from affected animals is not dangerous to consume.
Signs of HD in the wild include less fear of humans, disorientation, bleeding from the nose or rear end, and swelling on the face.
HD has no connection with the more serious Chronic Wasting Disease. This condition is caused by a “prion,” an abnormally shaped protein in the brain that disrupts neurological functions. Another name for the family of conditions is transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. The DNR says “there is no practical test of live animals to detect CWD, and there is no known treatment or vaccine. Postmortem testing is necessary for definitive diagnosis.” This is because one would need a sample of brain tissue to confirm diagnosis. Animals pass the condition to each other through contact with bodily fluids.
The human condition of the disease is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. It can occur sporadically or from eating meat from infected cattle, which also carry a form of the disease. While no known transmission has come to humans from deer, health officials strongly urge that meat from deer that appear sick or have died from disease not be eaten.
CWD generally is locally concentrated in the many states and Canadian provinces that have reported its presence. Most West Virginia cases come from the Potomac Highlands. The DNR reports that “as of April 15, 2026, 737 deer from Hampshire County, 39 from Hardy County, 63 from Berkeley County, 22 from Mineral County, 27 from Morgan County, 13 from Jefferson County and one from Grant County are the only animals found thus far to have the abnormal prion associated with CWD.”
Measures to control CWD are in place. “The WVDNR also discourages supplemental feeding and baiting of deer statewide, bans these practices on public land, and also bans these practices anytime in Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties. In addition, there are restrictions on the disposal and transport of deer carcasses from Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral and Morgan counties within the West Virginia containment area.”
With no way to eradicate the disease, the DNR relies heavily on reports of CWD to investigate outbreaks and control them before they affect the herd or spread from the containment area.
Rabies also represents a significant threat, but to domesticated animals and humans. Rabid animals show disorientation, aggression, frothing at the mouth, and significant thirst. They are highly dangerous, so one should report sightings to both the DNR and also the county health department so residents can be alerted quickly.
Observers should also report issues with birds, especially an unusual number of sick or dying animals. While a number of issues could cause this, the most significant could come from variants of avian flu.
Most birds in the wild exhibit few or no symptoms of avian flu, having developed natural immunity through exposure. The usual point of transmission to domestic chickens or turkeys comes through “backyard flocks,” or small numbers of free ranging or yard-enclosed poultry. The WVDA has emergency protocols in place to address avian flu outbreaks, as poultry represents a significant percentage of the West Virginia agricultural economy. Reports allow DNR and/or WVDA experts to get into the field quickly, assess the danger, and recommend strategies to contain and eradicate the threat.
