BOISE, Idaho —
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has proposed several responses to hunting unit 14, west of Elk City in Idaho County, because of chronic wasting disease.
Five deer and one elk in unit 14 have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), which can cause damage to the brain and spinal column in deer, elk, moose, and caribou.
CWD was first reported in Idaho in November of 2021 -- and all reported cases in the state have been within unit 14. CWD has previously been detected in 29 other states and four Canadian provinces.
With CWD now present in Idaho, IDFG stated that research shows that keeping the disease’s prevalence in wildlife under 5% can slow or even stop the spread of the disease. Currently, IDFG estimates CWD prevalence is less than 2% in the local deer population and lower in elk populations. IDFG also stated that maintaining lower wildlife population density has shown to slow the spread of CWD.
IDFG’s proposed responses include increasing the number of hunting tags available for antlered mule deer, adding antlerless mule deer hunting tags, extending the whitetail deer hunting season, and increasing the number of elk tags.
IDFG invites the public to comment on the proposed plans between Feb. 22 and Mar. 13. There will be a virtual public meeting in early March where IDFG staff will share the department’s plans for CWD management. IDFG will then decide on the changes during meetings on Mar. 23 and 24. More information about chronic wasting disease and the proposed responses is available here.
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