Hunters can learn how to take CWD test samples Sept. 27 in Missoula

MISSOULA –Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife staff will offer a free clinic in Missoula on Wednesday, Sept. 27 for hunters to learn how to collect samples from deer, elk, and moose so that they can be tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD).

The free instructional clinic is planned for Sept. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at the FWP office in Missoula (3201 Spurgin Road). Attendees will get hands-on practice removing lymph nodes for testing.  CWD testing is voluntary in Montana, but FWP encourages deer, elk, and moose hunters to help with disease management and understanding by collecting samples.

Hunters can either take the samples themselves and fill out an online hunter submission form and mail them to the Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman; or they can bring the animal (or head) to an FWP regional office or CWD sampling station this fall.  Testing is free. Please see the FWP website for sampling station locations and hours:  fwp.mt.gov/cwd.

Participants in the Sept. 27 clinic can bring a deer, elk, or moose head from a recent harvest if they have one, but this is not required. To RSVP and find out additional information, please contact FWP’s Region 2 CWD Coordinator, Adalyn Vergara, at adalyn.vergara@mt.gov.

CWD is a fatal disease that infects members of the deer family, including elk, moose, mule deer, and white-tailed deer, and hunters play a key role in minimizing the spread and providing data.  To learn more about a hunter’s role in CWD management, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd, where you can also find an instructional video on how to collect CWD samples and more information on CWD and testing options.

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