Before hunting this fall, check out the new mandatory game testing rules

After bovine tuberculosis was detected in a cattle herd last year, the Government of Saskatchewan is making game testing mandatory in certain areas.

The mandatory testing applies to hunters who draw elk in Wildlife Management Zone 37 south and east of Yorkton, and white-tailed deer in Zone 48 north of Preeceville. A full map of the wildlife management zones can be found on the government’s website.

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Those hunters will have to submit heads for testing within a month of the animal being harvested, and voluntary submissions of moose and mule deer heads in those zones are also encouraged.

“We are committed to ensuring the health of Saskatchewan’s wildlife populations,” Christine Tell, Saskatchewan’s environment minister, said in a statement.

Tell said the province relies on hunters submitting samples for testing.

“We appreciate their assistance, and we are grateful for their ongoing support of disease monitoring programs,” the minister said.

“Bovine TB is a contagious, bacterial infection that causes chronic debilitation and weight loss and typically affects the respiratory system of affected animals,” the ministry explained. “While it is possible for bovine TB to spread from animals to people, it is extremely rare.”

Meanwhile, the provincial government said it will continue to track and manage chronic wasting disease, “which remains a significant issue for wild deer, elk and moose populations in Saskatchewan.”

Chronic wasting disease affects the nervous systems of animals including deer, caribou, elk, reindeer and moose, and there is no known treatment or cure. It is both fatal and infectious.

“Since the detection of the disease in wild deer in the province in 2000, CWD has now been found in 62 of the province’s 83 wildlife management zones,” the ministry explained.

The submission process to have an animal head tested for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis is the same. Heads submitted for tuberculosis testing will also be tested for chronic wasting disease. Hunters can register online to receive a tracking number, and then drop off double-bagged heads at any designated location. Sampling stations and on-site technicians will be present at select locations to check for tuberculosis; details are available online.

“The ministry will also expand the carcass disposal program this year and add more disposal bins for the 2024-25 hunting season,” the provincial government added.

“Disposal bins are free and will be accessible to hunters to dispose of carcasses, carcass waste, or meat from CWD-positive animals.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated for clarity.