The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 59. The disease was detected in a cow elk in early November.
Elk Hunt Area 59 is in the Cody Region and overlaps Deer Hunt Areas 112 and 113, where CWD was detected in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
To ensure hunters are informed Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. The Centers for Disease Control recommends hunters do not consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD.
Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to help Game and Fish understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as evaluate future management actions for deer and elk. A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is 100% fatal to deer, elk and moose that have been infected. To date this year, Game and Fish personnel have tested 4,759 CWD lymph node samples from deer and elk — primarily submitted by hunters — and continue to evaluate new recommendations for trying to manage the disease.
Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on chronic wasting disease testing, transmission and regulations on the transportation and disposal of carcasses.
