Pennsylvania CWD Rules 2026-27, WMUs and Feeding Bans

CWD rules for 2026-27

Disease Management Areas and the Established Area are gone this year. Rules now hang on WMU lists, a statewide disposal rule and county or township feeding orders.

How CWD is managed now

For 2026-27 PGC no longer uses Disease Management Areas or an Established Area; CWD is managed by Wildlife Management Unit. CWD has been detected in wild white-tailed deer in WMUs 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B (11 WMUs).

High-risk parts

Statewide: unlawful to place high-risk parts of deer, elk or other cervids on the landscape anywhere but the harvest site; once moved, high-risk parts must go to a commercial trash service (double-bagged) or other PGC-approved method (e.g. cooperating processor/taxidermist). Transport of deer between any two locations is no longer prohibited; applies to deer brought in from other states. High-risk parts: head (brain, tonsils, eyes, lymph nodes), spinal cord/backbone, spleen, upper canine teeth with soft tissue, any article with visible brain or spinal cord tissue, unfinished taxidermy mounts, brain-tanned hides.

Feeding bans

Executive Director may prohibit feeding of deer/wild cervids at the county and township level. CWD Designation of Prohibited Feeding Areas Order #1 (signed August 2026) designates these areas:

Urine attractants

Regulatory ban on cervid urine-based attractants removed (state law changed in 2025).

Rehabilitation

Unlawful to rehabilitate wild cervids within WMUs where CWD has been detected in the wild.

New detections

Sept. 30, 2026 release: four new CWD detections, three in captive facilities (Butler, Warren and Lycoming counties) and one wild road-killed deer in Pringle Borough, Luzerne County.

Hotline

1-833-INFOCWD; infocwd@pa.gov

digest CWD, PGC CWD page, Sept. 2026 brochure. Checked October 12, 2026.

The 11 WMUs where CWD has been detected

CWD has been found in wild deer in 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B. Together they hold 877,000 of this year’s antlerless licenses.

WMU	Antlerless licenses	Deer 2025-26	Antlerless 2025-26	Counties it overlaps
2C	117,000	34,400	23,000	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, Westmoreland
2D	112,000	42,300	27,300	Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, Venango, Westmoreland
2E	63,000	20,200	12,500	Cambria, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson
2F	67,000	26,500	15,700	Clarion, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, Warren
4A	64,000	13,500	8,500	Bedford, Blair, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon
4B	71,000	21,100	14,400	Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder
4C	51,000	23,300	13,900	Berks, Carbon, Columbia, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Schuylkill
4D	120,000	24,800	15,400	Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming …
4E	61,000	25,000	17,500	Columbia, Dauphin, Juniata, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill …
5A	65,000	12,100	7,300	Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York
5B	86,000	30,100	19,800	Adams, Berks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York

digest, allocations, harvest. Checked October 12, 2026.

Where feeding deer is banned

18 counties are under Order #1: 13 in full and 5 by listed townships and boroughs. Feeding is also banned on all State Game Lands, state parks and state forests.

County	Area under the feeding ban
Adams	Whole county
Bedford	Whole county
Blair	Whole county
Cambria	Adams Township, Dale Borough, Ferndale Borough, Geistown Borough, Johnstown City, Lorain Borough, Richland Township, Scalp Level Borough, Southmont Borough, Stonycreek Township, Upper Yoder Township, Westmont Borough
Clearfield	Bell Township, Brady Township, Burnside Borough, Burnside Township, Mahaffey Borough, Troutville Borough
Cumberland	Whole county
Dauphin	Whole county
Franklin	Whole county
Fulton	Whole county
Huntingdon	Whole county
Indiana	Banks Township, Canoe Township, Glen Campbell Borough, Grant Township, Montgomery Township, North Mahoning Township
Jefferson	Bell Township, Big Run Borough, Gaskill Township, Henderson Township, McCalmont Township, Punxsutawney Borough, Young Township
Juniata	Whole county
Mifflin	Whole county
Perry	Whole county
Snyder	Whole county
Somerset	Conemaugh Township, Ogle Township, Paint Borough, Paint Township, Windber Borough
York	Whole county

Prohibited Feeding Areas Order #1. Checked October 12, 2026.

Head bins and testing

PGC head-collection bins sit in 36 counties for 2026. Testing through the bins is free.

Free testing through PGC head-collection bins in CWD-detected WMUs (double-bagged head with completed harvest tag on the ear; antlers not returned). Results in about 2-3 weeks via 1-833-INFOCWD, INFOCWD@pa.gov or pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/CWDResultsLookup. Paid testing through the PA Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System. Random sampling at processors does not guarantee testing.

2026 head-bin list, digest. Checked October 12, 2026.

Black bear sitting on a mossy log in the forestPhoto: Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Ruffed grouse camouflaged on the forest floor among leavesPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Young black bear resting in the fork of a treePhoto: Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

CWD questions

Which WMUs have CWD in Pennsylvania?

2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5A and 5B.

Can I move a deer from a CWD unit?

Yes. Moving deer between any two locations is no longer prohibited, but once moved, high-risk parts must go to commercial trash, double-bagged, or another PGC-approved method.

What are the high-risk parts?

head (brain, tonsils, eyes, lymph nodes), spinal cord/backbone, spleen, upper canine teeth with soft tissue, any article with visible brain or spinal cord tissue, unfinished taxidermy mounts, brain-tanned hides.

Where is feeding deer banned?

In Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder and York entirely, and in listed townships of Cambria, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson and Somerset.

How do I get a deer tested?