Town deer tests show improvement

SUNDANCE (WNE) — The number of tests coming back positive for chronic wasting disease is holding steady, according to the latest data from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.

Crook County’s deer hunt areas were on the high priority list for testing in 2023, along with a large portion of the west of the state and several to the south and center.

From those areas, and from all across the state, a total of 5100 samples from big game animals returned 711 positive results. The majority of samples came from harvested game and were submitted to field personnel at hunter check stations and regional offices, but some also came from road-killed animals and animals that were found dead or were euthanized.

That’s an overall statewide rate of 13.9%, which is similar to the 14.1% recorded the year before and a little higher than the 12.2% in 2022.

CWD has been a cause for concern in the Black Hills area over the last year or so, leading to Game & Fish suggesting a longer culling season around Sundance last year with a higher-than-usual quota.

The operation saw 26 white-tailed deer harvested within city limits, only two of which tested positive. This represents a 7.7% prevalence rate.

That’s a big improvement on the year before, when seven of the 50 tested returned a positive result, putting the Sundance area at a 14% prevalence rate.

According to wildlife disease specialist Jessica Jenings-Gaines, it’s difficult to draw conclusions from the year-to-year rates because the surveillance program switches between deer and elk her units each year.

However, she said, “We can say that the prevalence of CWD is slowly increasing in many deer and elk herd units in the state.”

Hunters in high priority areas are asked to submit samples for testing to help the department monitor the spread of the always-fatal disease.

This story was published on May 30, 2024.