In Pennsylvania’s fight against Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), deer hunters are the first line of defense.

And in Armstrong and York counties, where new Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) units have been established in response to new CWD detections, hunters can purchase additional tags to hunt and harvest antlerless deer. By filling those tags, hunters can help the Game Commission learn more about CWD impacts in these areas.

Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith encouraged hunters to take advantage of these additional opportunities, and thanked them for their valuable assistance.

“Hunters who secure tags, harvest deer and submit them for testing play an active role in helping to monitor CWD where it exists in Pennsylvania,” Smith said. “At the same time, the free CWD testing the Game Commission offers in these areas allows hunters to make an informed decision before consuming venison.”

In Armstrong County, 500 DMAP antlerless deer permits have been made available in the newly established DMAP Unit 7305, near Ford City. This unit comprises about 25,000 acres including all or parts of Ford City, Ford Cliff and Manorville boroughs and Bethel, Burrell, Kittanning and Manor townships.

In York County, 588 DMAP permits have been allocated in the new DMAP Unit 7307, near Black Rock. This unit comprises about 29,440 acres including all or parts of Jefferson Borough and Codorus, Heidelberg, Manheim, North Codorus, Penn and West Manheim townships.

To view the exact boundaries, visit the Game Commission’s interactive CWD map

While available in limited numbers, DMAP permits can be purchased anywhere hunting licenses are sold, including online at www.huntfish.pa.gov. You must provide the DMAP unit number. Each permit costs $10.97, and hunters may get up to two permits for each of the new DMAP units, or any other DMAP unit where tags remain available and redeeming a DMAP coupon isn’t required.

Hunters should note that most of the acreage within the new DMAP units is privately owned, and hunting may not occur on private properties without first securing permission from the landowner.

Hunters seeking to get their deer harvests tested for CWD can find the locations of head-collection bins on the Game Commission’s interactive CWD map. Results typically are available two weeks after samples are submitted to the lab, but the length of time might vary depending on the volume of samples the lab receives. A wealth of other information can be found on the CWD page at www.pgc.pa.gov.