SPOKANE, Wash. – The first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) for 2023 was found in Idaho. Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) confirmed they received a positive test result in a mule deer buck harvested seven miles outside of New Meadows in Unit 32A. CWD is a contagious, fatal neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. The disease has no cure and affects the brain of the infected animal. Symptoms include excessive salivation, drooping head and ears, tremors, low body weight and unusual behavior. IDFG asks that all hunters participating in deer or elk hunts in Units 2A, 22, 23, 24, and 32 have their harvested animal tested for the disease. Fish and Game would like as many samples as possible to determine the disease’s extent. For information on how to submit your harvested animal for testing, visit the Idaho Fish and Game website. IDFG says additional samples are at the lab, with results expected throughout November and December. “This is an unfortunate situation, but it’s why we test throughout the state for this disease,” IDFG Director Jim Fredericks said. “If it’s on the landscape, we want to know where, and we rely on hunters to provide samples so we can test for it and continue to manage to limit the spread of this disease.” CWD was first detected in Idaho in the fall of 2021 outside Unit 14, just north of Riggins. According to the Assistant Wildlife Bureau Chief, 49 animals have tested positive for CWD in Idaho, all from Unit 14. “Idaho Fish and Game has been monitoring CWD in deer and elk since 1997 and have tested approximately 26,000 animals over the last 26 years,” said Assistant Wildlife Bureau Chief Tricia Hebdon.
IDFG said this case will be managed differently than when CWD was detected in 2021, as most mule deer will migrate into lower-elevation winter ranges in early November. “This situation is considerably different than Unit 14 for that reason,” Fredericks said. “In the Slate Creek area north of Riggins, most animals remain nearby year-round, but migration patterns and winter ranges of deer where this particular animal was harvested are more complex. Most animals have already moved out of the northern part of unit 32A and will not return until spring.” The Fish and Game Commission has a regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 16 in Lewiston, where an update on this case will be provided. For more information, go to the Idaho Fish and Game website.
