CREDIT LARRY SMITH / FLICKR

Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, is a fatal sickness that deteriorates the brains and nervous systems of white-tailed deer.  And now, it’s affecting deer hunting in Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Conservation said there have been 33 new cases of CWD in Missouri over the last year, bringing the total 75. That’s a very low percentage of the deer population in Missouri, but the disease is showing signs of growth.

Francis Skalicky, a spokesman for the MDC, says rifle hunters will be required to bring in samples of any deer that they kill on opening weekend to be tested.

If CWD spreads past its current state, Skalicky said that it could do much more than just present an…