CWD found in new Wyoming hunt area

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in a cow elk from Elk Hunt Area 84.

The elk was reported by a member of the public who found it dead on public land. Department personnel investigated the carcass and sampled the elk. 

Elk Hunt Area 84 is located in the Jackson region and has no surrounding CWD-positive elk areas. However, its corresponding deer area, Deer HA 152, has had previous CWD detections, as have surrounding deer areas 144, 154 and 155).

To ensure hunters are informed, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that hunters 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 infected deer, elk and moose. In 2023, Game and Fish personnel tested more than 5,000 CWD samples from deer, elk and moose — primarily submitted by hunters — and continue to evaluate new recommendations for managing the disease.