Mandatory deer check station weekend December 9-10 in Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), along with its partners in chronic wasting disease (CWD) response efforts, reminds hunters participating in the deer hunting season this weekend that all deer harvested in Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties must be checked at a staffed FWC check station.

Following confirmation of a positive test in June 2023 for CWD in a white-tailed deer in Holmes County, the FWC issued new executive orders outlining regulations designed to increase sampling and slow the spread of CWD in Florida deer. As part of the new rules, all deer harvested from December 9-10, 2023, in Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties must be checked at a staffed FWC check station prior to transporting the deer to the hunter’s home, a meat processor or a taxidermist, except deer harvested on licensed Game Farms or Hunting Preserves.

The purpose of these regulations is to help protect Florida’s white-tailed deer population by reducing the potential spread of CWD within the CWD Management Zone and to other parts of the state.

With the start of general gun season in Zone D over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the FWC saw continued strong hunter support for CWD response efforts with sample submissions of hunter harvested deer in the tri-county area.

More than 400 samples from the Enhanced Surveillance Zone (Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties) have been tested since the initial detection of CWD. So far, CWD has not been detected in any other samples.

“We hope hunters in Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties will take full advantage of hunting opportunities this weekend, and we are looking forward to welcoming them at a nearby check station with their harvested deer,” said FWC Chief Conservation Officer George Warthen. “Hunters’ support is critical to slowing the spread of CWD in Florida.”

Check Station Locations

Jackson County Holmes County Washington County Calhoun County
Talbot’s Meat Processing
2135 White Pond Church Rd Alford, FL
Westville Meat Market & Processing
2569 R M Ward Road, Westville
Ecofina Carter Tract
2830 Chain Lake Road Chipley, FL
Big Bend Sporting Goods
18290 Main Street N., Blountstown
Backwoods Wildlife Game Processing
2596 Obert Rd Cottondale, FL
Bonifay Forestry Office
2889 Forestry Drive, Bonifay, FL
Pine Log WMA
Long Lead Rd Ebro, FL
Jackson County Extension Office
2741 Penn Ave Marianna, FL
Pinelog VFD
1652 FL-81 Westville, FL
Vernon Fire Department
3550 Roche Ave Vernon, FL
Jackson Co. Fire Rescue
3556 SR 71 Marianna, FL
Esto Volunteer Fire Department
3312 2nd Avenue Bonifay, FL
Orange Hill Storage
897 Orange Hill Road Chipley, FL
Apalachee Wildlife Management Area
2781 River Road Sneads, FL
Choctawhatchee River WMA
Trail Head at Highway 2
Chipola River WMA
HWY 162- Trail head at WMD sign
Malone Volunteer FD
5182 9TH AVE. Malone, FL
Buckshot Processing
2777 Pontiac Loop Cottondale, FL
Graceville Fire Department
986 6th Avenue Graceville, FL
Campbellton Park
5147 US-231 Campbellton, FL

 

To receive updates about Florida’s CWD response, visit our subscription page at MyFWC.com, “About Us” and “Sign up for News Releases” to sign up for a free information subscription service and choose “Chronic Wasting Disease Updates (CWD).”

Information about CWDnew hunting regulationssample drop box locations and participating meat processors and taxidermistsmonitoring statisticshunter harvest test results, and movement and importation restrictions can be found at MyFWC.com/CWD.