GREAT FALLS — Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was recently detected in a mule deer buck taken by a hunter east of Stanford in Hunting District 419.
Several rounds of testing confirmed that the deer was positive for CWD. This is the first time CWD has been detected in Hunting District 419.
CWD is a contagious neurological disease that infects mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose. It is always fatal, and there is no known cure. It was first detected in Montana’s wild herds in 2017.
There is no known transmission of CWD to humans.
However, the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends that hunters harvesting a deer, elk, or moose from an area where CWD is known to be present have their animal tested for CWD prior to consuming the meat and do not consume the meat if the animal tests positive.
While the general season has ended, FWP continues to accept samples and process final submissions. CWD sampling is available at FWP regional offices throughout the remainder of game damage and shoulder season hunts.
To learn more, click here to visit the FWP website.
