Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is hosting a public information session in Missoula on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and planned surveillance efforts for the upcoming hunting season.
The session is set for Monday, Sept. 17, beginning at 6:30pm at the FWP office in Missoula (3201 Spurgin Road) and will include a short presentation, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and visit with staff, including Emily Almberg, FWP’s Bozeman-based wildlife disease ecologist.
Last year, FWP discovered CWD in deer south of Billings and north of Chester, in north-central Montana. This contagious neurological disease can infect deer, elk and moose. It is always fatal and there is no known cure.
Because of the new discovery, transport restrictions are in place for deer harvested in locations where CWD has been detected. FWP will conduct extra surveillance during the general fall hunting season in high-priority areas in parts of northern, southern and western Montana, including Hunting Districts 210, 212 and 217, in the Upper Clark Fork.
(Photo source: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)