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As part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance program, the Ministry of Environment is asking hunters to bring in heads of moose, deer and elk from hunting season to be tested for CWD.
According to a media release, the fatal disease affects the central nervous system of deer, moose, elk and caribou. Unfortunately, there is no cure or prevention for it.
“Last year, hunters submitted more than 3,300 heads for CWD testing,” Environment Minister Dustin Duncan said in the release. “Their continued support of the CWD surveillance program is invaluable in helping us understand how this disease spreads, and for evaluating potential population impacts. This in turn will guide the province in developing disease management plans.”
The Ministry of Environment is asking hunters in wildlife management zones 2W, 9, 10, 35 and 37 to submit white tailed deer and mule deer heads for testing. Testing is also available for all cervid species hunted in any WMZ in Saskatchewan.
The ministry is hoping to collect 300 or more samples for the target zones for more information.
Hunters in WMZs 50 and 55 also can bring in their woodland caribou to help evaluate CWD risk in the boreal forest.
Hunters can reduce the spread of CWD by properly disposing of the carcass. In areas where the disease is detected, they should quarter a carcass in the field rather than moving it from that location. The first discovered case of CWD in provincial game farm animals was in 1996.
Hunters who want to drop off their heads must get a CWD tracking number from cwdsk.ca. They can be brought into any dropoff location in Saskatchewan and it’s free to do so. The dropoff sites can be found here.
