Environment ministry on lookout for Chronic Wasting Disease

Hunters in Saskatchewan are being asked to help the Ministry of Environment get a handle on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

The ministry is encouraging hunters to provide it with the heads of deer, moose and elk that have been harvested this season so they can be tested. Testing is free and is available for all cervid species killed in any wildlife management zone (WMZ) around the province.

“Chronic Wasting Disease is a serious issue in our province and hunters play a vital role in its detection and surveillance,” Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said in a media release.

“Last year, nearly 3,000 heads were submitted for testing. This level of sampling wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of the hunting community and is critical to the success of the CWD Surveillance Program.”

CWD, an infectious central nervous system disease in cervids, currently exists in 56 of Saskatchewan’s 83 management zones.

The ministry has particular interest in animals harvested in zones 2W, 9, 10, 35 and 37, as biologists want more information about the prevalence and spread of CWD in these areas.

The ministry also is interested in samples from zones 50 and 55 to evaluate CWD in the boreal transition region and the risk of disease transmission to cervids in the boreal forest, including the threatened boreal caribou.

In 2020, testing found the disease in five moose in the province. Because of that, moose hunters are asked to submit moose for testing so the ministry can get a better understanding of the disease in this species, especially in areas where CWD has occurred in deer populations.

Before dropping off heads for testing, hunters must obtain a CWD Tracking Number from the cwdsk.ca website. Heads can be submitted for testing at a number of designated drop-off locations across the province throughout the hunting season.

A list of drop-off sites and more information on how to submit a sample for testing is available here.

“Although there are no documented cases of CWD in humans, hunters are advised to refrain from eating or distributing meat that has tested positive,” the ministry’s media release said. “If your animal tests positive, you can dispose of your carcass or meat in a ministry-approved landfill.

“Processed meat may be double-bagged and disposed of in regular household waste, in limited quantities. Landfill operators should be contacted prior to disposal, as not all landfills accept animal carcasses.”