Idaho Fish and Game Plans to Fight Chronic Wasting Disease

You can help Fish and Game monitor the spread of chronic wasting disease, known as CWD.  A surveillance hunt is scheduled to begin next week.  If you plan to apply, you’re advised to participate.  Fish and Game won’t tolerate no-shows when it comes to a study that will determine the health of deer and elk herds.  You can find more details on how to apply by clicking here.  The hunt begins next week.

CWD Finally Reached Idaho

CWD was found earlier this fall in an area of the panhandle.  Two animals a few hundred feet apart but well inside the state.  In other words, the animals had to travel a considerable distance from Montana or the disease is much more prevalent than we currently know.  This is what the agency intends to clarify.  CWD is common in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.  It’s similar to what we call mad cow disease, found in cattle.  It’s caused by a prion, a form of protein, which eats away at brain matter.

There’s no evidence of any human contracting chronic wasting disease from eating infected venison, however.  Fish and Game and the Centers for Disease Control both advise against consuming infected animals.  It’s not only deer and elk who can contract CWD.  It can also infect moose.

Be Cautious Before Eating

Fish and Game explain you can eat an animal you take in a surveillance hunt, but first take some precautions.  Mark the paper before freezing and then wait for the testing results.  If your animal is clean, then you can go ahead and eat the meat.  Testing is done by examining the brain and lymph nodes.

You can learn more by clicking below on the YouTube video.