Louisiana’s Chronic Wasting Disease news took another turn for the worse last week when a state agency reported three more positive cases in captive deer facilities in three new parishes.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry said it detected the cases while investigating movement records following a CWD positive test found in a Jeff Davis Parish facility in November. The U.S. Geological Survey published a map of CWD distribution on Dec. 30 showing the new positives in captive deer facilities.

LDAF said in a prepared statement that CWD positives were recorded in captive deer facilities in St. Landry, Concordia and Tangipahoa parishes. Those pens are part of the state deer program and have been issued a quarantine restricting movement into or out of the facilities.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials asked hunters during December 2024 to ramp up surveillance efforts in 10 parishes in connection to the CWD case found in Jeff Davis Parish captive deer facility. They included Concordia, St. Landry and Tangipahoa parishes, plus Iberia, Calcasieu, Pointe Coupee, Bossier, Ouachita, Catahoula and DeSoto.

Jonathan Bordelon, LDWF’s deer program manager, said continued surveillance remains in effect in those parishes. He also noted LDWF first learned of the other CWD positives on Dec. 30, 2024.

“The locations are particularly concerning due to the number of free-ranging deer in those parishes,” he told The Daily Leader in a story posted Jan. 3.

CWD is spreading across the country. Louisiana was one of the latest with confirmed CWD cases in Tensas Parish to bring the number of CWD deaths in deer to 32 states.
CWD is a 100 percent fatal neurodegenerative disease to deer because of an infectious prion. Healthy deer can get CWD from direct contact with a positive deer or indirect contact with CWD prions in the environment. CWD prions are released primarily via bodily fluids, then remain in the environment.
CWD symptoms include behavioral changes, loss of balance and coordination, emaciation, excessive salivation, loss of appetite and droopy ears. Of Louisiana’s CWD cases, a third have been symptomatic.

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An Atchafalaya Basin Master Plan Community Meeting is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Catahoula Multipurpose Building at Clayton Boudreaux Memorial Park.

Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association and the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, which are co-hosting the meeting, urge anyone who uses and cares about the nation’s last great overflow swamp to attend and provide input on the Atchafalaya Basin Master Plan. The Facebook notice reads: “The future of the community is in your hands. This is an opportunity for you to help design a plan that will keep our community safe from flooding and protect the Atchafalaya Basin.”

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority also has scheduled public hearings to receive comments regarding the Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Atchafalaya Basin Program Annual Plan for 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Cecilia Civic Center and from 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Iberville Parish Courthouse in Plaquemine.

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Several Acadiana bass clubs have released their 2025 bass tournament schedules as well as an invitation to bass anglers to join their respective bass club before the season gets underway in January and February.

The Louisiana Bass Cats traditionally play host to the first major “open” tournament of each year and this year is no different. The Louisiana Bass Cats Invitational tournament is scheduled to be held Feb. 15 out of Fairfax Foster Bailey Boat Launch under U.S. 90 in Franklin. The bass club’s big “out-of-own” tournaments for points are March 15-16 at Toledo Bend and Oct. 25-26 at either Toledo Bend or Lake Sam Rayburn. There are eight “points” tournaments in the season set to be held in February, March, April, May, July, August, September and October. The New Iberia-based bass club’s first meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Boiling Point. For more information call (337) 281-5018.

The Louisiana Bass Anglers welcome new members as they get ready to fish their season opener Feb. 15 at Lake Martin and also make plans to defend their Southern Bass Club Association Elite 8 title on May 2-3 at Toledo Bend. There are 10 “points” tournaments on tap for the Franklin-based bass club in February, March (Toledo Bend), April, May, June, July, September and October (Lake Sam Rayburn). For more information call (337) 578-1529.

The Lafayette-based Anglers of Christ Bass Fishing Club, which also raises money for regional nonprofits and charities, starts its “points” tournament season on Feb. 22 at Lake Chicot. Other “points” tournaments are planned for March, April (Toledo Bend), May, June, July, August, September, October (Toledo Bend) and November. The bass club’s first meeting date was Jan. 6 at Crossroads. For more information call (337) 280-4774.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.