Hunters asked to help with Chronic Wasting Disease testing in the Salmon Region

"The ultimate goal is to slow, or prevent, the spread of CWD because it will negatively affect the deer populations and hunting opportunities," Fish and Game's State Wildlife Manager Rick Ward said. "We want to keep CWD out of units where it's not present, but we can't do that if we don't know exactly where the disease is located."

Some states with CWD in their deer and elk herds have documented long-term population declines and shifts in age structures leading to fewer mature bucks and bulls when the disease was left largely unmanaged.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been no reports of CWD infection in people. However, in the interest of safety, public health officials encourage people to not eat meat from animals that test positive for CWD, and hunters should follow health agencies' precautions and recommendations .

For more information, visit Fish and Game's CWD in Idaho webpage or contact the Salmon Regional Office at (208) 756-2271.