Wildlife officials are vastly increasing efforts to test for chronic wasting (CWD) disease this fall.
According to the Billings Gazette, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks tested approximately 7,000 samples in 2019 with hunters submitting 1,100 of the samples. Come this hunting season, the goal is to test about 15,000 deer, elk and moose samples from hunters.
Biologists first confirmed CWD is Carbon County in 2017 but additional positive cases since followed in various locations across Montana including near Sheridan, Bozeman and Libby.
“Based on that, we now assume the disease is more widely distributed in the state,” Ken McDonald, FWP wildlife division administrator, told the Billings Gazette.
(Photo source: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)