CWD Is Spreading In Wyoming And WGFD Needs Your Help

A challenge Wyoming's big game faces is Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD. A fatal disease of the central nervous system in mule deer, white-tailed deer, Elk, and Moose. This disease belongs to a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) caused by abnormal proteins called “prions.” No cure for TSEs is known, and they are always fatal in susceptible host species.

CWD was first found in Wyoming in 1985 but is now found across most of the state. Recent research in Wyoming has shown declines in mule and white-tailed deer populations, but less of an effect on Wyoming's elk populations, and even less in free-ranging moose; detections have been few, and there is no evidence that CWD is currently impacting moose populations.

deer surrounded by grass

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's website, you may not be able to tell right away if an animal has CWD. In the latter stages of the disease, the animal may seem like it doesn't want to move, has droopy ears, has excessive salivation, drinks and urinates more, and may die.

Animals will test positive for the disease long before these clinical signs appear and the majority of CWD-positive animals that are harvested appear completely normal and healthy.

Because of this concern and ongoing research, WGFD designates certain hunt areas as focus areas for sample collection. For deer, they have two different classes of sample collection.

Deer Mandatory CWD sample submission areas - A sample must be submitted for every harvested animal.

15, 34, 61, 74, 75, 76, 77, 82, 105, 106, 109, 157, 164, 171

Deer CWD Monitoring focus areas  - A sample submission is strongly advised. 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52, 53, 96, 97, 121, 122, 123, 130,131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 138,  139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 163, 168, 169

Elk Monitoring focus areas - A sample submission is strongly advised. 

1, 6, 13, 15, 21, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 70, 71, 75, 77, 18, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 91, 97, 98, 108, 116, 117, 130

If you're not hunting in any of those hunt areas, you can still submit a sample to contribute to the research.

resting bulk on field

You can submit your sample in several ways.

• Game check station – Personnel are normally
  available to sample your harvested animal for CWD.
• WGFD regional office – You may have to leave the
  head if personnel are not immediately available.
• Collect it yourself – Collect a sample yourself by
  watching the online video, complete a submission
  form and send it to the Wildlife Health Lab or take
  it to a regional Game and Fish office.

If you elected to collect the sample yourself, WGFD has a step-by-step video that can help you familiarize yourself with finding the lymph nodes to submit.