Illinois Pauses Public Meetings on Chronic Wasting Disease
State wildlife officials are suspending outreach meetings this fall to refine the management strategy for deer populations.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Hunting
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has suspended all public meetings regarding chronic wasting disease for fall 2026. This pause allows the department time to refine its management strategy for the disease, which impacts deer and elk across 28 counties.
Why it matters
By pausing the meetings, the agency aims to restructure its approach to handling the disease that has affected thousands of animals in the state since 2002. Officials are pivoting toward voluntary participation from hunters as a key component of their updated strategy.
Since 2002, 3,410 deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease out of 199,136 total samples. Hunters may now request up to two mail-in sampling kits at a time to support ongoing testing efforts.
The players
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
This is the state agency responsible for managing Illinois natural resources, including the state’s wildlife populations and hunting regulations.
The details
The state discontinued its program of targeted deer removal in spring 2026, marking a shift away from past containment methods. Hunters can participate in the new surveillance program by requesting testing kits through the department website or by contacting local district wildlife biologists.
Timeline
Chronic wasting disease was first detected in Boone County in 2002.
A total of 662 deer tested positive from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
Targeted deer removal was discontinued across the state in spring 2026.
Public meetings regarding the disease are suspended for fall 2026.
The department plans to resume public meetings in fall 2027.
Culture Shift
This decision marks a strategic pivot away from active culling programs toward a collaborative, hunter-assisted surveillance model. It reflects a broader transition in wildlife management where agencies are increasingly relying on voluntary citizen science to track large-scale environmental health issues.
Hunters in the affected regions must now rely on mail-in kits rather than public meetings for information and testing resources. Those looking to participate in deer health surveillance can request up to two kits online or via their local district wildlife biologist.
The takeaway
Hunters should monitor their local district biologist contacts to stay informed about surveillance procedures during this pause in public meetings. The shift to mail-in testing kits provides an opportunity for residents to directly contribute to the statewide disease tracking database.
What happens next
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is scheduled to resume public meetings regarding chronic wasting disease in fall 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest updates in our Illinois Hunting section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRSP.
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Do you trust the state's current strategy for managing chronic wasting disease in local deer populations?
