Meeting Set in Chester to Discuss CWD Hunt

Hunting – Region 4

Thu Mar 08 09:02:09 MST 2018

Fish, Wildlife and Parks will hold a meeting March 14 in Chester to review the results of the recently completed chronic wasting disease hunt and discuss the 2018 deer season.

A special deer hunt in Liberty County to gauge the distribution and prevalence of CWD ended Feb. 15 with no diseased animals found among 121 mule deer taken by hunters.

The Jan. 6-Feb. 15 hunt was triggered by the discovery of CWD in a mule deer harvested in November during the general big game season.

Final test results from 32 bucks and 89 does taken during the Sage Creek Special CWD Hunt came back negative.

The March 14 meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Chester High School Auditorium, 511 Main St. The intent of the meeting is to review CWD, provide results of the CWD hunt, discuss the 2018 general season, and what CWD surveillance may look like in 2018.

CWD is a progressive, fatal neurological disease that effects deer, elk and moose.

The disease has not been shown to spread to people, pets, livestock or wildlife outside of the deer family. However, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend not consuming meat from an animal known to be infected with CWD. The CDC also recommends that hunters have deer tested if they were harvested in areas where CWD is known to be present.

More information about CWD and the special hunt is available online to http://fwp.mt.gov/cwd.