During recent white-tailed deer reduction operations at Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) and Eisenhower National Historic Site (NHS), two deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Park staff are coordinating their response with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the National Park Service Biological Resources Division to ensure a science-based approach to monitoring and limiting the spread of the disease.
CWD has been present in Pennsylvania since it was first detected in 2012 and has since spread among deer populations across the state. In 2024, three nearby Maryland national parks reported their first CWD-positive results: Antietam National Battlefield, Monocacy National Battlefield, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Gettysburg NMP has managed its deer population since 1995 to protect native vegetation, support healthy forests, and preserve historic landscapes. Herd reduction is a recognized tool for limiting CWD spread, and deer management operations will continue at the park with appropriate mitigations in place. All venison collected from CWD-positive animals is destroyed and not donated, consistent with NPS guidelines.
There is currently no evidence that CWD can infect humans, but CDC guidelines recommend against consuming tissue from infected animals.
Park officials are urging visitors to avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife and notify park staff immediately, keep pets leashed and away from sick or dead animals, maintain a safe distance from all wildlife, and not eat any part of an animal suspected of having CWD.
Hunters in surrounding areas can find additional CWD information on the Pennsylvania Game Commission website at pa.gov.
