Seems like a little overkill but maybe not.



Natural Deer Urine Attractants Illegal in Virginia
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) poses a significant risk to the long-term health and stability of the
Virginia white-tailed deer populations. Since it was first found east of the Mississippi in Wisconsin in
2002, CWD has been found in a total of eight eastern states, including Virginia. To date, the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has spent over one million dollars on CWD monitoring
and management efforts. Importation bans on whole carcass and certain carcass parts (i.e., brain and
spinal cord) from high-risk CWD areas (including areas or states infected with CWD or any North
American enclosure intended to confine deer) are already in place in Virginia, along with a ban on
interstate movement of captive deer and elk. Reducing the use of natural deer urine attractants by
prohibiting the possession or use while afield for the purposes of taking or attempting to take,
attracting, or scouting will further minimize the risk of introducing CWD into a new area of Virginia.
Why is the use of deer urine attractants risky?
The infectious proteins (i.e., prions) known to transmit CWD have
been found in the urine, feces, and saliva of infected individuals.
To make these commercial scents, urine from captive elk and/or deer
kept outside of Virginia is collected over a grate system that does not
prevent contamination from either feces or saliva. The “urine” product
is not treated chemically or with heat to kill the infectious proteins
because these treatments would also secondarily destroy the desired
scent characteristics. The infectious proteins causing CWD are
extremely resistant to degradation and may persist in the environment
for years in contaminated soil, thereby posing a disease transmission
risk to deer for extended lengths of time. Additionally, many of the
facilities are located in areas or states with CWD. Deer in Virginia that
taste or sniff these products may actually be exposing themselves to
CWD harbored by deer living hundreds of miles away that were used
to collect the infected urine.
Why did the Department decide to ban these urine-based products?
The VDGIF is taking a pro-active approach on this issue and has banned possession and use until it is
proven that prions are not spread in commercial deer urine products, rather than continue to risk
introducing CWD to new areas until it is confirmed that urine attractants do spread prions. VDGIF’s
intent with this regulation is to protect our deer hunting heritage by ensuring that future generations
have the same opportunities to deer hunt as are available to Virginians today and to protect the long-
term health and stability of the Virginia deer herd. Both of these goals can be achieved, in part, by
trying to minimize the areas in Virginia infected with CWD.
What does “possess or use” a natural deer urine attractant mean?
It will still be legal for products that contain natural deer urine or other bodily fluids to be purchased and
sold in Virginia. However, it will not be legal for individuals to have these products in their possession or
Effective July 1, 2015, it will be illegal to possess or use deer scents/lures that contain natural
deer urine or other bodily fluids while taking, attempting to take, attracting, or scouting wildlife
in Virginia.