Mule deer hunters in the Laramie Mountains should be aware of mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) sample submission on mule deer harvested from Deer Hunt Areas 59, 60, 64 and 65. These hunt areas are home to the South Converse and the Laramie Mountains Herd Units.

CWD is a fatal disease of the central nervous system in mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose. The Laramie Mountains herd unit is composed of Hunt Areas 59, 60, 64 and the South Converse herd is composed of Hunt Area 65, and both have some of the highest prevalence rates of CWD in the state, between 20-40 percent.

“These hunt areas were selected because they are a priority for CWD data collection,” said Martin Hicks, Game and Fish Wildlife Management Coordinator in Laramie. Wildlife managers in the Laramie Region are charged with obtaining 200 CWD samples for the 2022 hunting season. The samples will provide information on CWD prevalence in these mule deer herds, and will help wildlife managers identify potential management strategies to reduce disease prevalence.

Animals with CWD may show weight loss, reluctance to move, excessive salivation, droopy ears, increased drinking and urinating, lethargy, and eventually death. However, not all animals show symptoms; the majority of CWD-positive animals that are harvested appear normal. Hunters are important in helping the Game and Fish Department understand chronic wasting disease and achieve monitoring goals. If you harvest a deer in Hunt Areas 59, 60, 64 or 65, submit your CWD sample at the following locations:

CHECK STATIONS

Oct. 15 - Oct. 17

• H’s Custom Cuts (Wheatland)
• Junction of Tunnel Rd & Hwy 34
• Chug Springs Butchery (Chugwater)
• Junction Horseshoe Creek Rd & I-25
 
Oct. 15 & 16

• Highway 30 (2 miles north of Laramie)

 Oct. 21-24

• H’s Custom Cuts—Wheatland
• Junction Tunnel Road & Hwy 34
• Chug Springs Butchery (Chugwater)
• Junction Horseshoe Creek Rd & I-25

Oct. 28-Oct. 31

• H’s Custom Cuts (Wheatland)
• Junction Tunnel Rd & Hwy 34
• Chug Springs Butchery (Chugwater)
• Junction Horseshoe Creek Rd & I-25
 
HEAD DROP BOX LOCATIONS

• Thorne/Williams WHMA entry/exit
• Junction Fish Creek Rd & Harris Park Rd.
• Junction of Palmer Canyon Rd. and Cooney Hills Rd. (western edge of Wheatland)
• Junction of Hwy 211 (Iron Mountain Rd) & Interstate 25 (Chugwater)
• Home on the Range Meats (Cheyenne)
• Laramie Game & Fish office, 1212 S. Adams St., south side of building
 
WYOMING GAME AND FISH OFFICES

• Laramie Regional Office: 1212 S. Adams. St., 8-5 M-F (307) 745-4046
• Casper Regional Office: 3030 Energy Ln., 8-5 M-F (307) 473-3400

Hunter can also learn to take samples themselves by watching an informative video and submitting the sample to any of the above locations.  For more information, contact the Laramie Regional office at (307) 745-4046 or visit the Wyoming Game and Fish Department webpage.