CASPER, Wyo. — A hunter-harvested buck mule deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in September.
The detection of the disease in that deer led to the confirmation of the presence of CWD in Wyoming Deer Hunt Area 155, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said on Monday.
The deer hunt area is bordered by Grand Teton National Park, where CWD was confirmed in 2018, and by Hunt Area 152, where CWD was confirmed in 2019, according to Game and Fish. The disease has been confirmed in many areas across Wyoming, as the following map from Game and Fish indicates:
More maps of CWD-endemic areas in Wyoming are available online.
Chronic wasting disease is 100% fatal to infected deer, elk and moose, Game and Fish said. The department tested 6,847 lymph node samples from deer and elk in 2021 and is continuing to work to evaluate ways to manage the disease.
The department announces when the disease is confirmed in new hunt areas to inform hunters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people avoid consuming any meat from animals that were obviously ill or that tested positive for CWD, according to Game and Fish.
“Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on chronic wasting disease testing, transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses,” Game and Fish said.
