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 |
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| 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 |
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| Jackson County Extension Office 2741 Penn Ave Marianna, FL |
Pinelog VFD 1652 FL-81 Westville, FL |
Vernon Fire Department 3550 Roche Ave Vernon, FL |
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| 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 |
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| Apalachee Wildlife Management Area 2781 River Road Sneads, FL |
Choctawhatchee River WMA Trail Head at Highway 2 |
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| Chipola River WMA HWY 162- Trail head at WMD sign |
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| Malone Volunteer FD 5182 9TH AVE. Malone, FL |
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| Buckshot Processing 2777 Pontiac Loop Cottondale, FL |
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| Graceville Fire Department 986 6th Avenue Graceville, FL |
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| Campbellton Park 5147 US-231 Campbellton, FL |
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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 CWD, new hunting regulations, sample drop box locations and participating meat processors and taxidermists, monitoring statistics, hunter harvest test results, and movement and importation restrictions can be found at MyFWC.com/CWD.
