Few areas of Wyoming without chronic wasting disease; positive elk in new hunting area (maps)

CASPER, Wyo. – The Wyoming Game and Fisheries Department said Thursday, November 12, that the chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in a new moose hunting area in the northeastern state.

A male elk tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Moose Hunting Zone 1, located in the Black Hills. Game and Fish note that the area borders on Moose Hunting Area 117 where the chronic wasting disease was confirmed in 2008.

Chronic wasting disease can be fatal for deer, elk and moose. The disease has been found in most of Wyoming’s mule deer hunting areas, as this map shows:

The chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in the elk hunting areas of the southeast, northeast and north-central of the state. The orange zone to the west is a moose hunting area where the disease has been confirmed:

“To ensure hunters are informed, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunting area,” the ministry said. “The Centers for Disease Control recommends that hunters not consume any animals that are obviously sick or that test positive for CWD.”

“Ongoing surveillance for CWD over time is important to help game and fish understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as to assess future management actions for deer and elk. A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is fatal to deer, elk and moose. “

Game and Fish is asking hunters to collect lymph node samples from deer and elk in targeted surveillance areas across the state. Hunting areas that are targeted for CWD surveillance include:

• Deer hunting areas: 7-15, 19, 21, 29-34, 61, 74-77, 88, 89, 96, 97, 105, 106, 109, 121-124, 132, 133, 157, 163, 165, 168, 169 and 171.
• Elk hunting areas: 55, 56, 58-61, 66, 75, 77, 79, 84, 85, 88-91, 97, 98 and 102-105.

“Every sample of CWD that we receive from our target areas is valuable for wildlife and disease surveillance,” said game and fish health lab supervisor Hank Edwards in the announcement. “We haven’t met our 2020 target sampling goals for elk or deer, so make an effort to submit a CWD sample of your harvest.”

Game and Fish has collected 44% of the deer samples they hope to collect from the targeted areas in 2020 and 28% of the elk lymph node samples they aim to collect.

“The Department is also interested in samples from white-tailed deer and encourages hunters to submit samples of their harvested animal,” Game and Fish said. “Samples from all hunting areas in Wyoming are accepted.”

“In 2019, Game and Fish staff tested 5,067 MDC samples and continue to assess new recommendations to try to manage the disease. Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on Chronic Wasting Disease testing, transmission, and carcass transport and disposal regulations. “

Related stories from Oil City News: