CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is hosting a training session on how to remove lymph nodes from harvested deer and elk for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing. The training will be held at 5 p.m. Aug. 25, 2026, at the Casper Regional Game and Fish Office shop area, located at 3030 Energy Lane.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk, and moose. Detection through proper lymph node collection is essential for monitoring and surveillance of the disease. This training is ideal for hunters and will be conducted by wildlife professionals.

Participants receive hands-on instruction on the correct procedures for locating, extracting, preserving, and submitting lymph nodes for CWD testing. The training will cover all necessary tools and techniques.  Hunters can also view online instructions and a how-to video.

Determining the prevalence of CWD in herds is important for management. To get the best estimate of prevalence, each herd unit requires 200 samples to be submitted to the Game and Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory. For this reason, sampling efforts are focused in different hunt areas each year. 

Casper Region CWD Sample Areas:

• Mandatory Submission: Deer Hunt Area 34 

• Priority/Focus Areas: Deer Hunt Areas 1–14 and 21 and Elk Hunt Areas 1, 116 and 117

   

For more information about CWD and the importance of lymph node testing, visit wgfd.wyo.gov.