News and Updates
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4/11/2024
Public Meeting Recording
Recording of public meeting in Bonifay to discuss chronic wasting disease hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission & Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
4/10/2024
Executive Order
FWC Executive Order 24-06, signed by FWC Executive Director Roger Young on April 10, 2024:
Re-establishment of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone and special regulations for deer
4/3/2024
News Release
FWC and FDACS to conduct public meeting about chronic wasting disease
This meeting on April 11 in Bonifay will provide information about CWD, updates on the unified agency and partner response, new hunting regulations for the area, and sampling and testing procedures.
11/14/2023
News Release
CWD response efforts, increased sampling, hunter support strong during first weeks of hunting season
Nearly 400 samples from the Enhanced Surveillance Zone have been tested since the initial detection of a CWD-positive female deer found in Holmes County in June 2023. So far, CWD has not been detected in any of the additional samples.
10/20/2023
News Release
Zone D's deer season begins tomorrow, Oct. 21
Zone D’s archery and crossbow seasons start tomorrow, Oct. 21, on lands outside of the Wildlife Management Area system, which marks the beginning of deer season in the zone. New CWD regulations are in place within the zone for this season.
10/10/2023
Public Meeting Recording
Recording of public meeting in Marianna to discuss chronic wasting disease hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission & Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
10/9/2023
News Release
Following confirmation of a positive test for chronic wasting disease in a single white-tailed deer in Holmes County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are hosting the following public meeting in Marianna on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
9/19/2023
Public Meeting Recording
Recording of public meeting in Bonifay to discuss chronic wasting disease hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission & Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
9/15/2023
News Release
FWC issues new executive order, outlining new hunting regulations for CWD Management Zone
Following confirmation of a single positive test sample for chronic wasting disease in Holmes County in June 2023, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have implemented management actions to protect against the possible spread of CWD. On Sept. 8, the FWC issued a new executive order outlining regulations designed to increase sampling and slow the spread of CWD in Florida deer.
9/13/2023
News Release
Following confirmation of a positive test for chronic wasting disease in a single white-tailed deer in Holmes County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have scheduled two additional public meetings in Bonifay and Marianna.
9/7/2023
Executive Order
FWC Executive Order 23-30, signed by FWC Executive Director Roger Young on Sept. 7, 2023:
Establishment of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone and special regulations for deer
7/6/2023
Public Meeting Recording
Recording of public meeting in Bonifay to discuss chronic wasting disease hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission & Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
6/28/23
News Release
Following confirmation of a positive test for chronic wasting disease in a white-tailed deer in Holmes County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have scheduled a public meeting for July 6 in Bonifay. The meeting will provide information about chronic wasting disease and an opportunity for area residents to ask questions about CWD and CWD management strategies.
6/21/23
News Release
Find a fawn? If you care, leave it there
White-tailed deer fawning can last many months in the Florida Panhandle. Sometimes people assume a fawn they find by itself has been abandoned and they try to “rescue” it. But instead of trying to rescue it, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises that you leave it alone.
6/20/23
News Release
Following confirmation of a positive test sample for chronic wasting disease in Holmes County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have implemented management actions and an executive order to protect against the possible spread of CWD.
6/19/23
Executive Order
FWC Executive Order 23-19, signed by FWC Executive Director Roger Young on June 19, 2023:
Establishment of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone and Special Regulations for Deer
6/15/23
News Release
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has confirmed that a road-killed 4.5-year-old female white-tailed deer in Holmes County sampled during routine surveillance activities has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. It is the first known case of CWD in Florida, a contagious disease of the brain and central nervous system that is fatal to deer. The first case of CWD in North America was described in mule deer in Colorado in 1967. Florida is the most recent of 31 states to detect the disease, which also has been confirmed in four Canadian provinces, Finland, Norway, Sweden and South Korea.