In a bid to help prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the provincial government has established a winter mule deer hunting season running from Monday, December 19th, to Thursday, February 23rd, 2023.
The game hunting areas included are areas 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 18, 18A, 18B, 18C, 22, 23, 23A, 27, 28, 29, 29A, 30, 31, 31A, 32, 33, 35 and 35A. A map of those areas can be found on page 17 of the 2022 Manitoba Hunting Guide.
Residents who live in any of the permitted game hunting areas can purchase up to three mule deer licenses a year. If you have any unused licenses from the fall season, they can be used for the upcoming winter hunt. Those same areas are also part of the harvested cervid mandatory biological sample submission zone. This means hunters must submit samples of the head and upper neck of all harvested deer.
What IS Chronic Wasting Disease you ask? It is an incurable disease that affects members of the deer family (Cervids). Infected animals can have the disease for up to three years before showing any symptoms. Those signs can be weight loss, poor coordination, stumbling, drooling, and trembling. It was first discovered in Manitoba last November and poses no known health risk to humans. Eating meat from an infected animal is not recommended, however.
Any hunters who have questions or concerns about an animal they have harvested can call 204-638-4570 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
