FYi for those that it might affect
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2024 11:23 am
Hello,
Washington’s first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in north Spokane County, in Game Management Unit (GMU) 124 (see map below). CWD is a fatal illness of cervids, which include deer, elk, and moose in Washington. The disease is caused by mutated proteins known as prions, which can contaminate the environment and be transmitted between animals through feces, saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. Most animals with CWD appear normal until the end stages of the disease when they show signs of weight loss, lethargy, excessive salivation and urination, and loss of fear of people. There is no cure for CWD and an outbreak of it in Washington could severely reduce cervid population numbers, impact hunting, and communities that rely on hunting revenue.
As someone who has salvaged wild game in the past, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants to inform you that there are no restrictions on salvaging deer and elk at this time but under new emergency rules that go into effect August 22, 2024, you are now required to have any deer or elk salvaged from the CWD initial response area (IRA), consisting of game management units (GMUs) 124, 127, and 130, tested for CWD. WDFW encourages everyone who salvages deer and elk to submit a sample for testing, even if outside of the IRA, as it helps the CWD surveillance program to detect the disease in other locations.
Salvagers in these GMUs must submit the whole head from a salvaged animal with at least three inches of the neck attached, or extracted lymph nodes, to WDFW for CWD sampling within three days of receiving a salvage permit.
More information on this new requirement and other rule changes that resulted from the confirmation of chronic wasting disease in Washington can be found on the WDFW Emergency Rule Change web page. Information on chronic wasting disease and other efforts to prevent its’ spread can be found on WDFW’s CWD web page.
Your help in slowing the spread of CWD throughout Washington is appreciated.
Washington’s first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in north Spokane County, in Game Management Unit (GMU) 124 (see map below). CWD is a fatal illness of cervids, which include deer, elk, and moose in Washington. The disease is caused by mutated proteins known as prions, which can contaminate the environment and be transmitted between animals through feces, saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. Most animals with CWD appear normal until the end stages of the disease when they show signs of weight loss, lethargy, excessive salivation and urination, and loss of fear of people. There is no cure for CWD and an outbreak of it in Washington could severely reduce cervid population numbers, impact hunting, and communities that rely on hunting revenue.
As someone who has salvaged wild game in the past, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants to inform you that there are no restrictions on salvaging deer and elk at this time but under new emergency rules that go into effect August 22, 2024, you are now required to have any deer or elk salvaged from the CWD initial response area (IRA), consisting of game management units (GMUs) 124, 127, and 130, tested for CWD. WDFW encourages everyone who salvages deer and elk to submit a sample for testing, even if outside of the IRA, as it helps the CWD surveillance program to detect the disease in other locations.
Salvagers in these GMUs must submit the whole head from a salvaged animal with at least three inches of the neck attached, or extracted lymph nodes, to WDFW for CWD sampling within three days of receiving a salvage permit.
More information on this new requirement and other rule changes that resulted from the confirmation of chronic wasting disease in Washington can be found on the WDFW Emergency Rule Change web page. Information on chronic wasting disease and other efforts to prevent its’ spread can be found on WDFW’s CWD web page.
Your help in slowing the spread of CWD throughout Washington is appreciated.