Common Sense Precautions In Handling Wild Meat

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CWD is not known to be transmissible to humans or to cause disease in humans, however recent media stories have increased speculation and questions about hunting in "CWD states," that is, states where Chronic Wasting Disease has been found among wild deer or elk.   Montana is not a "CWD state," because CWD has not been found in the wild.

In 1996, FWP established the first wild deer and elk surveys for CWD in Montana and to date 2,700 animals have been tested and all were found negative.   CWD was diagnosed in captive elk in one alternative livestock facility in Montana and those elk were destroyed in 1999.    In total, 2,300 captive deer and elk from Montana’s alternative livestock facilities have been tested. All have tested negative but those in the one facility.

The National Center For Disease Control has concluded that CWD is not likely the cause of human disease in any cases investigated to date across the nation.

Until more is known, hunters should take common sense precautions:

*  avoid shooting animals that look sick and report all such animals to FWP;

*  wear rubber gloves when field dressing game and practice good hygiene;

*  minimize contact with brain and spinal cord tissue;

*  avoid handling or consuming brains, spinal cord, tonsils, pancreas and spleen or other lymphatic tissues;

*  if you hunt in a state where CWD is reported in wild deer and elk and process your meat in that state, request that your meat be processed individually, apart from other animals;

*  if you hunt in a state other than Montana, inquire as to the CWD status of that state and review special CWD regulations or guidelines that apply in that state.

This fall, FWP will collect more deer and elk tissue samples from animals harvested by hunters. The agency is also seeking funding to cover additional tests and to help develop a statewide management plan to respond to CWD, if and when the disease is detected in Montana.

For more information on CWD, check the FWP home page at fwp.state.mt.us under Hunting and Know Before You Go.