Get My Deer Tested
CWD testing is available for hunters across North Carolina throughout the hunting season. While sampling options will be available across the state, they will be more concentrated in Surveillance Areas. Visit the Surveillance Area webpage for more information. For frequently asked questions and answers about CWD testing, visit the CWD Frequently Asked Questions page. There are three options available to get your deer tested. View the videos below on self-serve freezers, staffed check stations and Cervid Health Cooperators.
CWD Testing Using Self-serve Freezers
Testing Drop-off Stations are located across the state, and most are available 24/7 during deer hunting season. Bag the head of your deer and leave it in the freezer with a completed data tag, which is provided. Drop-off locations, including address and other information, are located on the interactive map below.
CWD Testing Instructions
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- Obtain your CWD Sample Tag and bag from inside freezer.
- Fill out the CWD Sample Tag completely.
- Remove the head and 3-5 inches of the neck. Remove antlers if present.
- Cut a slit in the ear. Attach the sample tag to the ear.
- Place head in bag, tie bag up and place in freezer.
To view test results, visit: ncwildlife.gov/IGotOne. You will only be contacted by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission if your deer tests positive for CWD. Results will be linked to the Harvest Authorization Number written on your big-game harvest report card. Shipping and processing times at the lab can vary, so please allow several weeks for test results to appear.
NCWRC Staffed Check Stations will be available at several locations throughout the CWD Surveillance Areas, offering an additional option for hunters to submit their deer heads for testing. These locations and hours of operation are listed below on the CWD check station schedule.
Processors or Taxidermists who are Cervid Health Cooperators can submit a sample from your deer for testing. The NCWRC works with these partners to collect samples from deer brought to their facilities for processing or taxidermy. If you are unsure whether your processor or taxidermist is a Cervid Health Cooperator, ask them directly or view the cooperators on the interactive map below.
Samples consist of lymph nodes collected from the jawline of the deer that are then submitted to a laboratory for CWD testing.
Please Note
If you are taking your deer to a CHC to get tested for CWD, please discuss this with the CHC to ensure your deer gets sampled.
Shipping and processing times at the lab can vary, but test results are expected to take 4-6 weeks from deer harvested in CWD Surveillance Areas and 7-9 weeks from deer elsewhere in the state. If your deer tests positive for CWD, you will be contacted by a NCWRC biologist.