The Department of Natural Resources today announced the statewide locations of deer check stations for the 2008 hunting season. The 2008 season starts on Thursday, Sept. 18, with a five-day early antlerless hunt on private lands only in the southern Lower Peninsula.

"I encourage successful hunters to bring their deer to a check station this hunting season so that we can gather important biological information and collect enough specimens for adequate disease testing," said Russ Mason, chief of the DNR's Wildlife Division. "With the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease in our state in August, we will be greatly expanding our testing for this disease, not only in the surveillance zone in northern Kent County, but statewide as well. Cooperation from hunters is essential as we continue to determine if the disease is present in wild, free-ranging deer."

Hunters who are successful in the nine townships of the CWD surveillance zone in northern Kent County are required to come to a check station with their deer. The DNR will collect the deer's head for disease testing, but allow the hunter to retain the antlers and cleaned skull cap, the cape and deboned meat. All deer taken in the CWD surveillance zone will be tested for CWD. Deer carcasses from the surveillance zone cannot be moved outside the nine townships --Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Alpine, Plainfield and Cannon.

There will be additional check stations in the Kent County CWD surveillance zone to make it more convenient for hunters to bring their deer in for testing. The check stations are:

• The Howard Christensen Nature Center, 530 20 Mile Rd. in Kent City. This check station will be open Sept. 18-Jan. 9 daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but will be closed on state holidays.
• The Rockford Sportsman's Club, 11115 Northland Dr. NE in Rockford. This check station will be open Sept. 18-Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, but will be closed on state holidays.
• The Red Flannel Rod and Gun Club, 7436 18 Mile Rd. NE in Cedar Springs. This check station will be open Sept. 18-Jan. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, but closed on state holidays.
• The Rockford Rest Area 525 at mile marker 99 on southbound US-131 in Rockford. This check station will be open Nov. 15-19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

For a complete list of DNR deer check stations statewide, please visit the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting. Hunters in the CWD surveillance zone are required to bring their deer to a check station in the zone. Hunters in other parts of the state are not required to bring their deer to a check station, but are encouraged to, so that the DNR can gather adequate specimens for disease testing.

At check stations, staff will examine teeth wear of the deer to determine its age. Staff will record age, sex, total antler points and antler beam diameter, and harvest location. Deer brought to the CWD surveillance zone check stations will have their heads removed by DNR staff for disease testing. Hunters at other check stations around the state have the option of donating the deer head for disease testing. For their effort in helping with the data collection, they will be given a Deer Management/Successful Hunter collector's patch.

More information about CWD is available on the State of Michigan's Emerging Diseases Web site at www.michigan.gov/chronicwastingdisease.