Chronic wasting disease is a major threat to deer, elk, and moose in Minnesota. One of the largest sources of CWD positivity in Minnesota comes via cervid (deer & elk) farms, which are for-profit, privately-maintained facilities that artificially breed herds for paid hunts. Captive operations regularly transport deer and elk and maintain unnaturally high-density herds, leading to high rates of disease transmission.
The A58 Amendment prohibits the registration of new deer farms and the importation of white-tailed deer into the state from farmed deer or elk herds.
