CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As state officials try to legally force Holmes County deer farmer Daniel Yoder to euthanize a herd of expensive white-tailed deer, a second deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) on Yoder's properties near Millersburg.

The first positive test ever for CWD in Ohio was from a deer killed Oct. 22 at Yoder's hunting preserve, World Class Whitetails. The second positive result came a few days ago while testing another Yoder deer that had died.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa confirmed the results.

"It has always been a case of not if, but when another deer would test positive on those properties," said Communications Director Erica Hawkins of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. "This wasn't unexpected. We expected to find positives at his facilities and, with de-population, we expect to find more."

Yoder's two breeding farms and hunting preserve were quarantined a year ago after it was discovered an infected Pennsylvania deer had been shipped there. It has become common for the breeding and hunting operations to ship deer to other states.

In Ohio, the ODA manages captive deer herds. The Ohio Division of Wildlife manages the wild deer herd.

Breeding large-antlered deer to supply the fenced deer-hunting operations has become a booming business. The price for a deer sporting trophy antlers can range from a few thousands dollars to more than $50,000.

Because the disease is highly contagious and almost impossible to eradicate, Yoder's breeding farms and fenced deer hunting operation was shut down and all deer 12 months and older that die on the properties were required to be tested for CWD, regardless of the circumstances, said Hawkins.

While CWD has become a major problem in Wisconsin and many western states, Yoder's captive deer have been the only Ohio animals to test positive for the always-fatal brain disease. CWD is found in the wild, but spreads far more quickly among crowded herds of captive deer or elk.

The ODOW constantly tests road-killed deer and deer killed by hunters for the disease. Because of the positive test in Holmes County, wildlife officials focused on deer harvested from that area during the recent hunting seasons.

The disease is related to mad cow disease, but has never been contracted by humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ODOW reported last fall at least two deer had escaped from Yoder's farms and were killed by sport hunters. There have also been other instances of deer escaping from fenced hunting operations around state.

Hawkins said discussions are still underway to determine the best way to eliminate the herd because of the high cost of destruction and disposal of the deer.

"A lot of questions still need to be answered," Hawkins said. "This is the first situation like this in Ohio."

Yoder was charged in Holmes County Common Pleas Court on Feb. 25 with two counts of tampering with evidence, reported the Wooster Daily Record. Yoder had given a customer packages of venison obtained from a doe after the trophy buck he had killed appeared to be ill. The customer received the antlers, but Yoder disposed of the buck's head and carcass without performing the required tests, charged ODA enforcement agent William Lesho.

Three West Virginia hunters had paid to kill three deer on the preserve on another date and the required samples of the deer were not collected. In order to determine if a deer has CWD, the brain or brain stem must be tested.