DNR asks hunters near Stella to donate deer tissue for PFAS testing

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) needs help from deer hunters to better understand if local perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are accumulating in white-tailed deer near the town of Stella in Oneida County.

“The DNR needs deer tissue samples from hunters who harvest a deer during any of the 2024 deer hunting seasons (archery, gun or muzzleloader) within a 3-mile radius of the Town of Stella,” agency officials said in a press release. “Interested hunters will need to submit 100 grams (about the size of an adult thumb) of both muscle and liver tissue, along with harvest location details such as GPS, nearest street address or nearest intersection. Samples should be wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a zip-close bag, then dropped off at the CWD kiosk in Rhinelander.”

All samples will be processed in the order in which they were received by the State Laboratory of Hygiene in Madison. Hunters will receive a final report outlining the results of their deer’s tissue samples within 2-4 months after submission. Overall findings from testing efforts will be shared with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to determine whether any consumption advisories are warranted, the release states.

PFAS are human-made chemicals used in industrial processes and manufactured products. PFAS don’t break down easily and can remain in the environment for a long time. PFAS can accumulate in the human body slowly over time through repeat exposure, most commonly by eating food or drinking water that contains PFAS. High levels of PFAS in the body are harmful to human health.

A DNR testing project in late 2022 showed a number of drinking wells in the town of Stella have some of the highest levels of PFAS detected in Wisconsin.

Some water bodies in Stella have also been found to be contaminated, agency officials announced in May. Fish consumption advisories are now in place with respect to some of the water bodies in Stella. Now, the DNR is interested in learning if the local deer population is also being affected.

For more information regarding the local impacts of PFAS to the Town of Stella community, visit the PFAS Contamination in the Town of Stella webpage. To learn about safely consuming fish and game, visit the Safely Eating Wild Game and Eating Your Catch webpages.