We take a moment before each post to acknowledge that the land we learn from, responsibly take from, and generously give back to, is the traditional and contemporary homeland of the Anishinaabe peoples, specifically the Council of Three Fires (the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations), among others.
We pay respect to their ancient stewardship, ecological wisdom, and continued presence here in the Great Lakes region, committing ourselves to learning and practicing the ethics of stewardship and harvesting that they pioneered.
Land is not property, land is a relation.
(Note: CWD is considered a theoretical risk to people, and authorities urge caution. To date, there are no confirmed cases of CWD infection reported in humans. However, public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advise against consuming meat from infected animals as a precaution.)
As Michigan foragers, we love the land, but a silent threat, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), requires specialized safety protocols for wild foods.
The rise of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) poses a unique challenge to those who harvest wild foods directly from the environment, especially roots and subterranean fungi.
CWD is caused by exceptionally durable infectious proteins called prions, which are misfolded proteins that are not viruses or bacteria.
These prions are shed by infected cervids (e.g. deer, elk, and moose) and persist in the environment, binding tightly to soil for years.
While CWD primarily affects cervids, the risk for foragers lies in indirect exposure through soil particulates adhering to harvested goods.
This risk is amplified by experimental evidence demonstrating the proven potential for prion uptake and translocation into plant tissues via their root systems.
Because prions are highly resistant to conventional methods like high heat and cooking, traditional food safety is inadequate for CWD management.
This CWD Michigan foragers guide provides a clear, actionable solution for managing this environmental hazard, detailing the essential steps you must take to minimize risk through site avoidance and rigorous decontamination.
I’ll show you how to safely assess risk and decontaminate your gear, turning fear into informed stewardship.
A Closer Look at CWD
As previously discussed, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious, fatal neurodegenerative disorder that impacts the central nervous system of cervids, including deer, elk, and moose.
Key Risk Factors Related to Prions:
- Shedding: Prions are shed by infected animals through body fluids such as saliva, urine, feces, blood, semen, and antler velvet. Prions can be detected in secretions and excretions even before the animal develops visible clinical signs, as the incubation period is often long (frequently exceeding 12 months).
- Environmental Persistence: Prions remain highly infectious in the environment, accumulating in the soil where they can persist for years. Their remarkable stability makes them difficult to control.
- Soil Interaction: Prions adhere strongly to soil minerals. In certain soils, such as prairie Chernozems containing montmorillonite clay (common in some CWD-endemic regions of North America), prions bind strongly and remain near the surface, highly available for ingestion.
- Plant Uptake: Experimental studies show that diverse plant species, including agriculturally important crops like alfalfa and barley, can take up prions via their roots and translocate the pathogenic prion protein into above-ground tissues.
CWD Michigan Foragers Guide
Mitigating risk requires prioritizing site exclusion and meticulous removal of potential contamination.
Step 1: Pre-Trip Planning (Checking DNR Hotspots/CWD Zones)
Before foraging, use Michigan’s CWD status to inform your site selection and necessary precaution level.
- Confirmed Counties: CWD has been detected in 17 Michigan counties as of 2025: Allegan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw, and Washtenaw counties.
- DNR Surveillance: The Michigan DNR uses a rotational sampling plan to detect the disease early across the state. In 2025, focused CWD surveillance areas include Baraga, Chippewa, Dickinson, Houghton, Iosco, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft counties.
- Risk Prioritization: If you must forage within a confirmed CWD county, the stringency of all subsequent harvest and decontamination protocols should be increased substantially.
Step 2: Site Selection and Soil Contact Avoidance
Avoiding high-risk areas is the most effective preventative measure because prions create a permanent, static risk due to their extreme stability in soil.
- Mandatory Exclusion of Congregation Sites: Any location showing evidence of artificial feeding or baiting, including mineral licks, salt blocks, or remnants of grain, hay, or fruit, must be permanently excluded from harvesting. Research confirms that deer-to-deer contact and environmental contact (via infectious saliva and feces) are significantly more frequent at artificial bait sites compared to natural food sources, maximizing prion transmission risk.
- Lower Peninsula Baiting Ban: Feeding and baiting are banned throughout the entire Lower Peninsula on both public and private lands. This ban is an indicator of high-risk areas where prion transmission likelihood is maximized.
- Avoid High Traffic Areas: Permanently avoid deep-seated deer trails, common bedding areas, or locations with concentrated feces accumulation.
- Report Sick Deer: Immediately report any sick, lethargic, or strange-acting deer (e.g., emaciated, disoriented) to the DNR at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. Carcass decomposition sites are known long-term prion reservoirs and should be abandoned for foraging activity.
- Root and Tuber Harvesting: For subterranean harvests, extract with extreme care to limit contact with surrounding soil. Rigorously clean and immediately isolate these items in dedicated, sealed, non-porous containers or plastic bags to prevent contamination of other goods or gear.
Step 3: Decontamination Protocol for Gear and Boots
Prions are resistant to standard cleaning agents, requiring specialized chemical decontamination for tools exposed to high-risk soil or cervid waste.
- Mechanical Pre-Cleaning (Mandatory): Before any chemical disinfection, all tools and gear must be rigorously cleaned with soap and water to remove every trace of organic debris, including soil, blood, and tissue. Failure to remove this debris renders subsequent chemical disinfection ineffective because bleach has poor tissue penetration.
- Chemical Disinfection (Metal Tools): For inactivation of CWD prions on metal surfaces (e.g., stainless steel knives, shovels), use sodium hypochlorite (household bleach), which is proven effective.
- Solution: Mix a 40% bleach dilution (2 parts household bleach with 3 parts water).
- Contact Time: Fixed-blade metal tools should be immersed completely in the freshly prepared 40% bleach solution for a minimum contact time of 5 minutes.
Step 4: Compliance with DNR Regulations (Baiting/Feeding Bans)
Foragers must adhere to regulations designed to prevent prion dispersal.
- Lower Peninsula Bans: Remember that feeding is banned in the entire Lower Peninsula.
- Roadkill and Carcass Management: The movement of cervid carcasses and parts is strictly regulated statewide. You may not possess the carcass of a roadkill deer outside of the county where it was killed, unless it is deboned meat, cleaned antlers/skull caps, hides, or a finished taxidermist mount. Within Michigan’s Core CWD Area, salvaging roadkill deer is explicitly prohibited.
- Proper Disposal: Deer carcasses and parts harvested from CWD areas must never be disposed of on the landscape; they should go directly to a landfill or regular bagged trash pickup to prevent environmental contamination.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
- Relying on Cooking/Heat: This is the most critical mistake. CWD prions are exceptionally resistant to heat, and cooking does not mitigate CWD risk. Safety relies entirely on physical removal and chemical decontamination.
- Skipping Mechanical Pre-Cleaning: Bleach cannot penetrate or degrade prions beneath solid organic debris like dirt, blood, or tissue. Tools must be meticulously scrubbed to remove all debris before immersion in the bleach solution.
- Failure to Peel Root Vegetables: For high-risk items such as roots and tubers that contact prion-rich soil, scrubbing alone is insufficient. The mandatory preventative step is to peel deeply to remove the outer epidermal layer, which is the site of maximum soil adhesion and potential internal prion uptake.
- Improper Chemical Usage: Using weak concentrations or inadequate soak times will fail to inactivate prions. Ensure you use a 40% bleach solution for a minimum of 5 minutes when decontaminating metal tools.
Summary
The environmental risks posed by CWD in Michigan foraging require disciplined and knowledgeable behavior.
The prion agent is highly stable and persistent in soil, and can be transmitted through indirect exposure via soil contact and plant uptake.
By rigorously checking DNR CWD zones, strictly avoiding deer congregation sites (especially banned Lower Peninsula baiting sites), and following the mandatory two-step process of mechanical pre-cleaning followed by specialized 40% bleach decontamination for tools, you establish a strong barrier against indirect prion exposure.
For roots and subterranean foods, deep mechanical cleaning (peeling) is the indispensable step since cooking is ineffective.
Incorporating these practices into your routine protects yourself, your family, and contributes to the ongoing effort to manage Michigan’s wildlife health.
Start applying these mandatory site avoidance and decontamination protocols today.
Responsible foraging means informed foraging—protect Michigan’s wild foods and keep yourself safe.
20 Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)? CWD is a fatal, contagious neurological disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose) caused by an infectious, misfolded protein called a prion.
2. How are CWD prions spread in the environment? CWD prions are shed by infected animals through saliva, urine, feces, and decomposition. They contaminate the environment and remain infectious for years.
3. Are CWD prions easily destroyed by cooking or heat? No, prions are exceptionally resistant to conventional inactivation procedures, including high heat and cooking temperatures.
4. Can CWD infect humans? To date, no CWD infections in people have ever been confirmed, but due to the infectious nature of prions and the precedent set by BSE, caution is advised and the risk is considered theoretical.
5. How long can CWD prions survive in the soil? Prions are highly stable and known to remain infectious in contaminated environments like soil for years.
6. Can plants take up CWD prions from the soil? Yes, studies demonstrate that plants can take up prions via their roots and subsequently translocate them to aerial tissues, making plants a potential vector for exposure.
7. Which Michigan counties have confirmed CWD cases? As of 2025, CWD has been detected in 17 Michigan counties: Allegan, Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw, and Washtenaw.
8. Is baiting or feeding deer banned in Michigan? Feeding and baiting are banned in the entire lower peninsula on both public and private lands.
9. Why are deer baiting sites high-risk areas for CWD? Artificial bait sites cause deer to congregate, significantly increasing direct deer-to-deer contact and environmental contact (via concentrated infectious saliva and feces), thereby maximizing prion transmission risk.
10. How should I decontaminate my hunting or foraging tools? Metal tools must undergo mandatory mechanical pre-cleaning (removing all debris) followed by immersion in a chemical solution proven effective against prions.
11. What chemical solution is recommended for CWD tool decontamination? A 40% dilution of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite), mixed as 2 parts bleach to 3 parts water, is effective for inactivating CWD prions on stainless steel surfaces.
12. What is the minimum contact time for bleach decontamination? Fixed-blade metal tools should be immersed completely in the 40% bleach solution for a minimum contact time of 5 minutes.
13. Why must I remove organic debris before using bleach? If solid organic material (like soil, blood, or tissue) is not removed, the bleach disinfectant cannot penetrate and degrade prions beneath the debris layer, rendering the chemical step ineffective.
14. What are the recommended precautions for harvesting wild roots or tubers? Because these items contact prion-rich soil, they should be extracted carefully, rigorously cleaned, and peeled deeply before consumption.
15. Is peeling roots sufficient to ensure safety from CWD? Peeling removes the outer layer where maximum soil adhesion and potential prion uptake occurs. This mandatory preparation step is the critical mechanical barrier to ingestion since cooking is ineffective.
16. How should I dispose of high-risk soil or potential CWD contaminated materials? Deer carcasses or high-risk parts harvested from CWD areas should never be disposed of on the landscape; they must go directly to a landfill or regular bagged trash pickup.
17. What are the signs of CWD in a deer? Signs include drastic weight loss (emaciation), stumbling, listlessness, excessive drooling, loss of fear of humans, or other unusual behaviors.
18. What should I do if I see a sick or strange-acting deer? Accurately document the location and immediately report the sighting to the DNR at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. Do not attempt to disturb or remove the animal.
19. Is salvaging roadkill deer allowed in Michigan’s Core CWD Area? No, it is illegal to possess or salvage deer killed by vehicle collision within the Core CWD Area townships.
20. Why does CWD risk assessment rely on site avoidance if the disease is slow-moving? Because prions are shed by pre-symptomatic animals and remain infectious in the soil for years, relying on seeing a sick animal is inadequate; protocols must focus on avoiding areas where prions are known to concentrate (like feeding sites).
Sources
- 2025 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary – State of Michigan
- About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) – CDC
- Allergan joins Michigan’s CWD-positive county list with detection in young doe | CIDRAP
- Baiting and Feeding Regulations – State of Michigan
- Best Management Practices for Deer Processors and Taxidermists …
- Can plants serve as a vector for prions causing chronic wasting disease? – PMC – NIH
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) – Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) – State of Michigan
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Environmental Risk Synthesis and Safety Protocols for Michigan Foragers
- Chronic Wasting Disease – The Center for Food Security and Public Health
- CWD hunting regulations – State of Michigan
- CWD testing: Everything you need to know – GovDelivery
- Deer feed site behavior – State of Michigan
- DNR reports Allegan County’s first CWD-positive wild deer – State of Michigan
- DNR reports Genesee County’s first CWD-positive wild deer – GovDelivery
- Environmental Contamination of Plats with Prions – National Agricultural Library
- Inactivation of chronic wasting disease prions using sodium hypochlorite | PLOS One
- Movement of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Prairie, Boreal and Alpine Soils – PMC
- Plants as vectors for environmental prion transmission – PMC – NIH
- Plants can take up CWD-causing prions from soil in the lab. What happens if they are eaten?
- Prion & PLPs Decontamination Options | UMN University Health & Safety
- Prion Disease (CJD, CWD) | Washington State Department of Health
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