September 28, 2023 |
Photo – A deer with Chronic Wasting Disease – Courtesy USGS.gov
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced Wednesday that it is monitoring for Chronic Wasting Disease in deer herds residing in the Upper Platte River Valley and in the Shirley Basin.
Hunters who harvest mule deer in areas 70, 78, 79, 80, and 81 this fall are encouraged to submit samples from their deer for CWD testing.
Acceptable samples include removed lymph nodes or the deer’s head with at least 4 inches of neck attached. For directions on how to identify and remove lymph nodes, Game and Fish offers a video tutorial on its web site, featuring Hank Edwards, Wildlife Health Lab Supervisor. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX382bKzj-I)
Game and Fish personnel will be available at field check stations and the Laramie Regional Office to assist hunters with sample removal and submission.
The wildlife agency will also station deer head drop boxes around the targeted hunt areas this fall. These drop boxes will have a short form to fill out and leave with the deer’s head, allowing Game and Fish to collect information about where the animal was harvested.
Hunters who drew tags in monitoring focus areas will receive additional email correspondence detailing locations of drop boxes and check stations.
If desired, hunters who submit CWD samples from harvested animals will be able to access laboratory test results within three weeks at wgfd.wyo.gov/cwd.
CWD is a chronic, fatal disease that affects the central nervous system of deer, elk, and moose. It causes proteins to fold, creating abnormal protein formations called prions. These prions disrupt normal nervous system functions, and as the disease progresses, animals become lethargic, have progressive weight loss, and eventually die.
If you have any questions about CWD monitoring in the Platte Valley or Shirley Mountains, please contact Teal Cufaude, Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist in Saratoga, at 321-7087.
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