Hunters reminded of CWD Management Zone rules and encouraged to submit samples

With big game seasons underway, Idaho Fish and Game’s Clearwater Region is reminding hunters about special regulations that apply when hunting in the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone and encouraging hunters to submit CWD samples whenever possible.

Game Management Units 14 and 18, along with a portion of Unit 1, are currently designated as CWD Management Zones. Hunters who harvest deer in these areas are required to submit a sample for CWD testing. Special carcass-transport requirements also apply to deer, elk and moose harvested within the CWD Management Zone.

Know the CWD Management Zone rules

If you’re hunting in a CWD Management Zone, make a plan for your animal before you leave the field. The rules apply to deer, elk and moose and are intended to reduce the risk of spreading CWD.

Deer must be tested. All hunter-harvested mule deer and white-tailed deer taken in the CWD Management Zone must be tested for CWD. A head or lymph node sample must be submitted within 10 days of harvest.

Whole carcasses cannot leave the zone. Whole deer, elk and moose carcasses may not be transported out of a CWD Management Zone. Animals should be quartered or deboned before leaving the zone, with brain and spinal tissue left behind.

Want to keep the skull? Plan ahead. A skull or skull cap must be cleaned and completely dried before it can leave the CWD Management Zone. This can be difficult to do in the field, so hunters who want to keep a skull should plan ahead. European mounts may only be processed within the CWD Management Zone.

Taking the head to Fish and Game for testing? Hunters can bring the head to a Fish and Game office, check station or designated sampling location. However, the head will not be returned after sampling. Fish and Game will retain the head and dispose of the remaining tissue appropriately. Hunters may retain the skull cap or antlers after sampling.

Taking your animal to a taxidermist or meat processor? A caped animal with the skull may be taken to a taxidermist or meat processor, but it cannot leave the CWD Management Zone, and a CWD sample still must be submitted.

When in doubt, ask before you leave the field. CWD carcass-transport rules can be confusing, particularly when it comes to skulls. Contact your local Fish and Game office if you have questions about what you can take home.

Hunters are an important part of CWD monitoring

Fish and Game relies heavily on samples from hunter-harvested animals to monitor CWD. Because there is currently no reliable test for detecting CWD in a live animal, samples from harvested animals provide important information about where the disease is present and how frequently it occurs.

Testing is mandatory for deer harvested in the CWD Management Zone. Fish and Game also encourages hunters to voluntarily submit samples from deer, elk and moose harvested in other areas. Testing is free, and voluntary samples help expand the department’s ability to monitor CWD across Idaho.

“Hunters are an important partner in our efforts to monitor and manage CWD,” said Jana Ashling, Clearwater Regional Wildlife Manager. “Every sample provides us with valuable information about where CWD is occurring and helps us make informed management decisions. We really appreciate the hunters who take the extra time to get their animals sampled and follow the special regulations.”

Samples can be submitted at Fish and Game regional offices, check stations and designated CWD sampling locations. Hunters can also request a free sampling kit and collect a lymph node sample themselves.

“Collecting a CWD sample is one of the ways hunters can directly contribute to wildlife management,” Ashling said. “We appreciate their help and the information they provide. That information is especially valuable as we continue to learn more about CWD in Idaho.”

Hunters who submit a sample can check their CWD results online. Results typically take approximately four to six weeks, and Fish and Game will contact hunters directly if their sample tests positive.

For more information about CWD regulations, how to collect a sample, sampling locations and test results, visit the Idaho Fish and Game CWD webpage.