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October 11, 2026 – Illinois deer hunters will have a new option for testing harvested deer for chronic wasting disease during the 2026 fall hunting season.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will offer free mail-in sampling kits that allow hunters to collect lymph node samples from harvested deer and send them in for testing.
The kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Hunters can request up to two kits at a time, with additional kits available if they harvest more deer.
Test results are generally available within two to four weeks and will be posted online. IDNR says priority will be given to samples from counties where CWD has already been detected. Hunters whose deer test positive will receive a text or email notification.
CWD is a fatal disease affecting the nervous system of deer and elk. IDNR says the disease has been detected in 28 Illinois counties, with more than 3,400 positive cases identified among nearly 200,000 deer tested since CWD was first detected in the state in 2002.
Hunters can request a sampling kit through the IDNR’s CWD sampling page.
