This weekend’s anticipated start to the firearms portion of deer season has a different feel in Saline County, as the county is among 18 in Missouri marking its first season in the management zone for Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD.

Missouri Department of Conservation county agent Chase Wright details some of the new provisions in place.

Wright adds that any deer shot this weekend in Saline County will be subject to mandatory CWD testing.

Missouri Department of Conservation county agent Chase Wright adds that the antler point restriction is waived in counties in the CWD management zone. In addition to Saline, counties in the management zone include Boone, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Howard, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Randolph, Ray. Counties outside the zone, including Benton, Cooper, Henry, Johnson, Lafayette, Moniteau, and Pettis, still require hunters to ensure that bucks have at least four points on either antler before attempting to harvest it.

Additional details and reminders for hunters are available on the Missouri Department of Conservation website.