Deer will be culled from five areas in Alberta where deer shot by hunters last fall were confirmed to have chronic wasting disease.
Hired contractors in helicopters will attempt to kill all the deer within a 10 kilometre radius of where the positive deer were found, said Dave Ealey, spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Staff will help gather and process the deer meat and take the heads for testing.
Deer in the surrounding area will also be thinned out to help stop the spread of chronic wasting disease, he said.
CWD has been found in a narrow band along the Saskatchewan and Alberta border between Lloydminster and Empress.
Wildlife biologists believe there is a good chance of holding the disease at bay if they continue to kill the deer that may come in contact with infected ones entering from Saskatchewan.
A total of 34 wild deer have tested positive for the disease since 2005.
