NEWS

CWD found in a new deer hunt area in northern Wyoming

Game and Fish continues to notify hunters of new areas where CWD is found

11/8/2019 4:34:23 PM

Cheyenne - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that several deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Deer Hunt Area 105. The positive tests come from hunter-harvested mule deer and white-tailed bucks and road-killed mule deer. All positive deer were located north and northeast of Clark in the Badger Basin and Big Sand Coulee areas. The deer were harvested in early November.

Deer Hunt Area 105 is one of the areas with increased CWD monitoring this hunting season. Game and Fish aimed to collect samples from at least 200 adult mule deer bucks from both the Clarks Fork the Shoshone deer herds. Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as evaluate future management actions.

To ensure that 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.

A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is fatal to deer, elk and moose.

The Game and Fish is concerned about CWD and how it may affect the future of Wyoming’s wildlife. The department is currently working to update its CWD management plan through a collaborative public process.

In 2018, Game and Fish personnel tested 5,280 CWD samples during the hunting seasons, a significant increase from past years and continues to evaluate new recommendations for trying to manage the disease. Over 3,000 samples have been tested so far this hunting season.

Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on chronic wasting disease transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses.