Disease testing required for game returning with hunters

HUNTING — Washington hunters returning with game from Wyoming or 16 others states and some Canadian provinces must have the meat and trophies properly processed to prevent possible spread of Chronic Wasting disease.

CWD has been found in wild deer populations in Texas and Missouri in the past year, bringin the number of states with verified cases to 17.

Washington residents hunting in states where CWD has been confirmed are required to conduct additional processing of deer, elk and moose carcasses brought back to Washington.

The others states where CWD has been detected include Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The requirements are in place to reduce the risk of spreading CWD into Washington, where no cases of the disease have been confirmed.

While CWD is a fatal illness in deer and elk, there have been no confirmed cases of CWD being transmitted to humans or passed to domestic animals or livestock.

See more information on the additional processing and reporting requirements, (also published onpage 93 of the Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules Pamphlet.

Click here for more information on CWD.