CWD detected in new Wyoming deer hunt area

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports they have confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Wyoming’s Deer Hunt Area 154. The disease was detected in a hunter-harvested buck mule deer in September.

According to the department, Deer Hunt Area 154 is in the Jackson Region and is bordered by three areas that previously detected CWD in deer. To the west and northwest CWD was verified in Hunt Area 152 in 2019 and Hunt Area 155 in 2022. CWD was also detected to the south in Hunt Area 142 in 2020.   

To ensure hunters are informed, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends hunters do not consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD.

Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to help Game and Fish understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as evaluate future management actions for deer and elk. A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is 100% fatal to deer, elk and moose that have been infected. In 2021, Game and Fish personnel tested 6,947 CWD lymph node samples from deer and elk — primarily submitted by hunters — and continue to evaluate new recommendations for trying to manage the disease. 

For more information on CWD testing, visit the Game and Fish website and view the transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses.