CODY-  The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Park County are working together to reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Thanks to this partnership, hunters who harvest deer can dispose of their deer carcasses at the Park County landfill in Cody at no charge.

The program aims to manage CWD by reducing the number of harvested deer carcasses dumped on public and private lands, and make it easier for hunters to follow proper disposal regulations outlined in Chapter 2, Section 15 of the General Hunting Regulation.

“This partnership is designed to remove carcasses from the landscape and place them in a lined and covered landfill to prevent environmental CWD transmission,” said Corey Class, wildlife management coordinator. “CWD prions may persist on the landscape for years and when hunters dump post-processed carcasses on private and public lands, they can inadvertently spread the disease.”

Hunters can dispose of post-processed carcasses including the ribs, spinal cords and head of the deer, and packaged meat that hunters wish to dispose of because CWD was detected in their animal. Butchering scraps and tallow will not be accepted through this program, as these items are typically placed in household garbage.  

Currently, the program allows hunters to dispose of deer carcasses only for no cost, as deer have the highest prevalence of CWD within the Bighorn Basin. Hunters will have to cover the cost of carcasses from other big game animals such as elk. Commercial operations are excluded from the program.  

“Properly disposing of deer carcasses is one of the most important CWD management actions deer hunters can take,” said Class. “We appreciate the help and hope the fee waiver at the landfill will encourage hunters to dispose of carcasses properly to help mitigate the spread of CWD.”