Chronic Wasting Disease

This year brought unsettling news for Montana hunters and lovers of wild game meat:

The move is aimed at preventing the potential spread of chronic wasting disease from deer to the human-fed elk population.

CWD has not made its way onto Wyoming's elk feedgrounds, but some fear it's only a matter of time.

The deer were killed in early November.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal nervous system disease that affects deer, elk and moose, according to the game and fish.

Morgan Pfander, regional wildlife population biologist, said Fish and Game collects samples from an animal's lymph nodes behind the throat at the base of the skull.

WY Game and Fish Dept. held 5 public meetings to hear the public’s thoughts on how to manage Chronic Wasting Disease to update the state's management plan.

A public meeting to provide information and gather crucial public input on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), was held last week at the Wyoming Game and Fish office in Laramie.

The animals would then be expected to forage for food during all but perhaps the most severe winters.

Although the disease has been previously documented in deer in an overlaying hunt area, this is the first time an elk has tested positive.