U.S. Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) and Mark Green (R-Green Bay) will be out this weekend doing their part to combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

The two will participate in the first day of the September special deer hunt this Saturday. The week-long special hunt will be held September 7-13 in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ designated CWD containment zone in parts of Dane, Iowa and Sauk Counties.

Ryan and Green plan to begin their hunt early Saturday morning on a farm near Mt. Horeb. Later, following the hunt, they will hold a news conference on CWD and the importance of hunters participating in efforts to help combat the disease.

"As congressmen, we have a professional responsibility to do everything we can to get the federal resources needed to combat Chronic Wasting Disease, and we’re working every day to do that in Washington," Green said. "But we’re really going to be out there this weekend to fulfill our personal responsibility as hunters to do our part to beat CWD on the ground. Deer season in Wisconsin is a crucial part of our culture and economy, but with the emergence of CWD, we’re going to have to work to keep it that way. That’s an obligation every Wisconsin hunter shares, and I have no doubt we’re up to the job. There’s never been a more important time to be a hunter in Wisconsin."

"Hunters need to hunt to solve this problem and we need to lead by example," Ryan said. "I’ve been hunting in the CWD zone for years and I will continue to do so. By joining in this hunt we’re looking to bring in deer for testing, fight CWD, and encourage other hunters to get out there and do the same. Deer hunting, whether by bow or by gun, is a way of life for many Wisconsinites. And we have got to protect that heritage and our economy from being undermined by Chronic Wasting Disease."