Idaho Fish and Game recently received test results confirming a positive case of chronic wasting disease in an adult female white-tailed deer roughly 3 miles outside of Bonners Ferry in hunting Unit 1. The deer was reported to Fish and Game by a landowner who found the dead deer in early July.
The positive test result marks the first known case of CWD in north Idaho.
Chronic wasting disease is a contagious, fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. There is no cure for CWD, no approved live test for wild animals, and no vaccine. It is found in 35 states and four Canadian provinces, including all neighboring states east of Idaho and Washington to the west.
The disease affects the brain of infected animals and symptoms include excessive salivation, drooping head/ears, tremors, extremely low body weight, and unusual behavior, such as showing no fear of humans and lack of coordination.
IDFG is currently developing a plan for disease sampling to determine the prevalence and distribution of CWD in the area. The timing of the detection will allow hunters to take an active role in providing samples for the effort.
The goal of Fish and Game’s CWD Strategy is to detect and minimize the spread of the disease to maintain healthy big game herds into the future, which cannot be accomplished without help from hunters.
“While we are disappointed by the detection of CWD in north Idaho, the department is well-prepared to respond to the situation thanks to having a comprehensive Chronic Wasting Disease Strategy, a history of sampling for CWD in deer throughout the area, and experience dealing with affected populations in other parts of the state,” said Panhandle Regional Supervisor Carson Watkins. “Going forward we’ll be working closely with the Boundary County community to chart a course for long-term management of CWD on the landscape.”
Fish and Game would like to sample as many deer and elk as possible in Unit 1 and adjacent units to evaluate the extent of the disease in the area.
Currently, Fish and Game is asking all hunters participating in deer or elk hunts in the Panhandle to have their harvested animal tested for the disease. Hunters can take heads of harvested deer and elk to any regional Fish and Game office to have samples collected or get directions on the Fish and Game CWD webpage (idfg.idaho.gov/cwd) on how to collect and submit samples themselves.
Fish and Game will also have numerous drop-off sites located around the Panhandle Region where hunters can deposit heads or samples from harvested animals to be tested. Those locations can also be viewed on Fish and Game’s CWD web page.
Fish and Game is also asking people to report any roadkill deer and elk in the Highway 95 corridor from the vicinity of Bonners Ferry to the Canada border, as well as along Highway 2 from Bonners Ferry to the Montana state line. If people observe deer or elk that appear to be sick in Boundary County, they are encouraged to report the observation to Fish and Game by calling the Panhandle Region office at (208) 769-1414.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, there have been no reported cases of CWD infecting people; however, CDC recommends that people do not eat meat from an animal that tests positive for CWD.