Domesticated Cervine Animal Facility permits were issued to 87 cervid herds in Nebraska in 2003. These facilities contained 2,984 elk, 621 fallow deer, 86 Sika deer, 406 mule deer, and about 125 deer of various other breeds. Herds with elk and mule deer are required to have all animals over 12 months of age identified with a visible plastic tag and a permanent form of identification (metal USDA eartag or tattoo). These herds are also required to keep a current herd inventory on all animals, which is verified annually by a Bureau of Animal Industry representative. All elk and mule deer over 16 months of age, which die from any cause, are to be reported to the Bureau and have the brain stem submitted for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing. As of January 1, 2003, over 2,400 animals have been submitted since testing began in 1998. Three Nebraska herds have been found to be CWD positive as a result of this testing.

The first case of CWD was found in a Cherry County elk farm in March of 1998. This herd has tested 141 animals negative after finding only one positive animal and was released from quarantine. The second positive herd was found in Cheyenne County in April of 1999 and has been depopulated. A third herd in Sioux County was found positive in December of 2000. This herd was a hunt operation and had an elk pasture and a deer pasture. The elk pasture had 15 positive elk in a herd of 150 animals and the deer pasture had 98-positive whitetail deer in a herd of 196 animals. Both pastures were completely depopulated. One positive elk was found in a fourth herd during depopulation of cervid herds in the endemic area (see below). No captive cervid herds in Nebraska are known to be infected with CWD.

Import and movement restrictions have been enacted that require CWD herd certification for a minimum of 36 months for intrastate movement and 60 months for import from another state. Fifty-two herds have applied for and been granted CWD Monitored Status under the Nebraska Chronic Wasting Disease Cervid Monitoring Program.

Surveillance in wild deer began in 1997, and the first wild deer to be found positive was in the fall of 2000. Since that time, over 6,000 wild deer have been tested in Nebraska, with a total of 17 positive animals found. Eleven of the positives were found in Sioux County, four in Kimball County, and one each in Cheyenne and Scottsbluff Counties.

Based on the finding of these CWD-positive, free-ranging deer, an area of western Nebraska was designated as endemic for CWD. In addition to the locations where CWD positive wild deer were found, consideration was given to prevalence rates of the disease in adjacent areas in Colorado and Wyoming, and potential animal movement ranges. The area was agreed upon by the Nebraska Bureau of Animal Industry, USDA-APHIS-VS, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Included in the endemic area are all of Dawes, Sioux, Scottsbluff, Banner, Kimball, Cheyenne and Deuel counties, and parts of Box Butte, Morrill and Garden counties.

Cervid herd owners in the endemic area requested depopulation with indemnity similar to that provided to Colorado producers. Based on the risk of exposure of these herds to CWD and it's potential to spread, the decision was made for USDA-APHIS-VS to provide funds to carry out depopulation. Twenty-three facilities in the area were contacted and offered the voluntary depopulation program and fifteen agreed to participate. During September and October of 2002, a total of 930 adult animals and 160 calves were humanely euthanized and tissue samples were collected and submitted for testing. One CWD positive animal was found, a two-year old elk from a herd in Sioux county.

Owners of the participating herds signed a herd plan agreement that will prohibit them from restocking with cervid species as long as the area is classified as endemic. Facilities with no evidence of CWD may restock with non-cervid species. The facility with the positive animal is required to maintain all fencing for a minimum of five years; may restock with ruminant species only after proper cleaning and disinfection and after a period of 12 months; or may restock with non-ruminant and non-cervid species 30 days after cleaning and disinfection.