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Hello,Washington’s first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in north Spokane County, in Game Management Unit (GMU) 124 (see map below). CWD is a fatal illness of cervids, which include deer, elk, and moose in Washington. The disease is caused by mutated proteins known as prions, which can contaminate the environment and be transmitted between animals through feces, saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. Most animals with CWD appear normal until the end stages of the disease when they show signs of weight loss, lethargy, excessive salivation and urination, and loss of fear of people. There is no cure for CWD and an outbreak of it in Washington could severely reduce cervid population numbers, impact hunting, and communities that rely on hunting revenue.As someone who has salvaged wild game in the past, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants to inform you that there are no restrictions on salvaging deer and elk at this time but under new emergency rules that go into effect August 22, 2024, you are now required to have any deer or elk salvaged from the CWD initial response area (IRA), consisting of game management units (GMUs) 124, 127, and 130, tested for CWD. WDFW encourages everyone who salvages deer and elk to submit a sample for testing, even if outside of the IRA, as it helps the CWD surveillance program to detect the disease in other locations.Salvagers in these GMUs must submit the whole head from a salvaged animal with at least three inches of the neck attached, or extracted lymph nodes, to WDFW for CWD sampling within three days of receiving a salvage permit.More information on this new requirement and other rule changes that resulted from the confirmation of chronic wasting disease in Washington can be found on the WDFW Emergency Rule Change web page. Information on chronic wasting disease and other efforts to prevent its’ spread can be found on WDFW’s CWD web page.Your help in slowing the spread of CWD throughout Washington is appreciated.
Looks like there is no exception for cleaned skulls only deboned meat?
WDFW need to include skin sample testing to verify its effectiveness. Get the feds on board with the skin test so whole heads need not be collected. A one gram ear sample has been shown to give more accurate tests than brain/node tests at a fraction of the cost. The research is only a couple years old, get it accepted. Non invasive testing on live deer is also possible with this method.
So no skull plates???
Quote from: boneaddict on August 24, 2024, 11:36:45 AMSo no skull plates???Skull plates should be fine due to antler restriction areas over there. “Big game taken in antler or horn restriction areas: The head or skull plate, with both horns or both antlers naturally attached, must accompany the carcass while in transit or in possession.”I assume they’ll clarify to meet the out of state transport requirements, which allows transport with restrictions.
National Library of Medicine 10.371/0274531
