CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Elk hunters in brucellosis monitoring areas in Wyoming are asked to take and submit blood samples to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Most of the monitoring areas are in the west and northwest of the state, according to this map.
Hunters who draw and submit elk blood samples will be entered into a raffle to win the following prizes, the department said on Monday, Sept. 16:
- Ruger American Predator rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, donated by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wyoming and Cody chapters with a Vortex Viper HS LR 6-24×50 FFP rifle scope, donated by Vortex Optics.
- Leupold SX–5 Santium HD 27-55 x 80 spotting scope, donated by Leupold.
- Maven C1 binoculars (8×42 or 10×42), donated by Maven and the Wyoming chapter of The Wildlife Society.
- Game and Fish sweatshirts and hats
“Brucellosis is a bacterial disease endemic in elk and bison throughout the area surrounding Yellowstone in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana,” Game and Fish says. “A state/federal eradication program has almost eliminated the disease in cattle, but infected elk and bison pose a continuing threat.”
Some, but not all, hunters with elk licenses will receive blood draw kits in the mail. Game and Fish says they’ll mail about 9,000 such kits.
Monitoring this year will focus on the areas in the Bighorns and in the “Designated Surveillance Area” near Cody.
“’Each year, the Game and Fish asks hunters to collect blood samples from harvested elk to track the spread and prevalence of brucellosis and aid in the development of possible management actions,’ said Eric Maichak, Cody regional disease biologist.”
The program is voluntary, but Game and Fish says hunter participation is “vital” to its success.
“Those who draw multiple elk licenses and receive multiple kits will be entered into the raffle for each kit returned,” the department adds. “The raffle drawing will be held in March 2020.”
Those hunters who don’t receive a kit but wish to participate can contact Game and Fish to request one.
This video explains how to perform an elk blood draw: