PINEDALE — With the 2026 hunting season in full swing, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Pinedale Region reminds hunters to have their harvested deer, elk, and moose tested for chronic wasting disease. Hunter participation plays a critical role in helping Game and Fish monitor disease prevalence and evaluate long-term management strategies.

CWD is 100% fatal to infected deer, elk and moose. While there are no mandatory sampling areas in the Pinedale Region, sample submissions are vital to meeting monitoring goals. Samples are accepted from any hunt area, including outside designated focus areas.

Sample Drop-Off Locations

Hunters can drop off tissue samples or intact heads at any of the following regional drop-box locations:

• Pinedale Game & Fish Regional Office: 432 E. Mill St., Pinedale, WY
• Pinedale Transfer Station: 83 Landfill Rd., Pinedale, WY
• Sublette County Landfill: 10 Marbleton Sanitary Landfill Rd., Big Piney, WY
• Kampfire Meats: 10634 US-189, Big Piney, WY
• The Elkhorn: 14523 US-189, Bondurant, WY 

Please ensure that the information on CWD kits or head tags attached to drop boxes is filled out completely and legibly.

In addition, proper carcass disposal is available throughout the season at the Pinedale transfer station. Processed carcasses (e.g., bones, hide, ribcage) will be accepted at the transfer station during open hours for no fee, but no trash (e.g., gloves, paper towels, etc.) may accompany the carcasses, or a disposal fee will apply.

Additional Testing Options

Beyond using drop boxes, hunters may have samples collected by wildlife personnel at check stations or the regional office. Alternatively, hunters can follow online self-sampling instructions to collect their own samples and mail them directly to the Wildlife Health Laboratory.

Surveillance results are typically available within three weeks on the hunter's Game and Fish website dashboard. Alternatively, expedited testing is available within 10 business days through the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for a fee.

Field Handling & Meat Processing Recommendations

To minimize health risks and avoid processing costs while awaiting test results, Game and Fish recommends the following precautions:

• Quarter and freeze or hang meat while waiting for results.
• Wear rubber or latex gloves during field dressing.
• Bone out meat and avoid handling or consuming the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes.
• Disinfect processing tools in a 40% household bleach solution for at least five minutes before rinsing.

For more information on CWD and sample testing, visit the Game and Fish website or call the Pinedale Regional Office at (307) 367-4353.