Hunting in these areas? Utah DWR wants to test your deer for disease

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – If you harvest a deer this year in Utah, wildlife authorities want you to have it tested for chronic waste disease, or CWD. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has several stations across the state where biologists can test the animals for CWD.

CWD is a relatively rare communicable disease that affects not only the nervous systems of deer, but also moose and moose. It was first spotted in Utah in 2002 in a buck taken while rifle hunting near Vernal, the DWR says. To date, 124 mule deer and three moose have tested positive for CWD in Utah. Even so, according to DWR, CWD is not widespread and only occurs in six hunting units – mainly in some counties in central, northeast, and southeast Utah.

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The disease is caused by a protein particle – a prion – that attaches to the brain and spinal cord. These are the same types of particles that cause mad cow disease in cattle. Infected animals then develop brain lesions, become emaciated, appear listless and have lop ears. You can also drool excessively and eventually die.

According to DWR, infected animals can excrete prions in urine, feces and saliva. Animals can become infected through contact with another infected animal or indirectly through environmental pollution. Although the transmission of CWD from animals to humans is rated as extremely low by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is recommended that you avoid eating meat from infected animals.

In a five-year rotation, the Utah DWR is establishing surveillance checkpoints on all hunting units across the state to examine deer populations for CWD. Hunters can take a free CWD test when harvesting a deer on one of the units sampled this year. You need to leave about 6 inches of the animal’s neck and trachea below the jaw so DWR staff can remove the lymph nodes for sampling. When you bring your deer in, a DWR operator will ask you a few questions, such as where the animal was harvested.

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If you bag a deer or elk in a non-target sampling unit but still want to test for CWD, you can donate the animal’s head to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Logan or Spanish Fork for a testing fee of $ 25. Deer and elk must be over 1 year old to be eligible.

This year, courtesy of DWR, CWD surveillance control stations and sampling units can be found here:

Northern Utah

The DWR offers free CWD testing for deer from the Box Elder, Morgan-South Rich, East Canyon and Chalk Creek units at the following locations:

  • The DWR office Ogden (only by appointment) in 515 E. 5300 Süd from 25.-29. October and November 1st every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call 801-476-2740 to schedule an appointment outside of these dates and times.
  • Snowville at the intersection of I-84 and Highway 30 October 23-24, approximately 10 a.m. until sunset every day.
  • The Mountain Green Rest Area on I-84 west from October 23-24, approximately 10 a.m. until sunset daily.

Hunters can also call the DWR Ogden office at 801-476-2740 for a list of meat processors and taxidermists in the area who also take CWD samples, along with the processing of the meat or taxidermy.

Northeast Utah

The DWR will offer free CWD testing for deer harvested from the North Slope; South Slope, Yellowstone; South slope, spring; South Slope, Diamond Mt; Book Cliffs, North; and Nine Mile, Anthro units at the following locations:

  • The DWR Vernal office (by appointment only) at 318 N. Vernal Ave. October 25-29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 453-781-9453 to make an appointment.
  • Located near Strawberry Reservoir, at the intersection of US Highway 40 and Co-op Creek Road (between mile markers 41 and 42) October 23-25, approximately 9 a.m. until dark every day.
  • North of Vernal on US Highway 191 at the Steinaker Reservoir rest stop (near mile marker 358) October 23-25, approximately 9 a.m. until dark every day.
  • West of Manila on SR 43 (between mile markers 4 and 3) October 23-25, approximately 9 a.m. until dark every day.

Hunters can also call the DWR Vernal office at 435-781-9453 for a list of taxidermists and meat processors in the area who also take CWD samples, along with the processing of the meat or taxidermy.

Central Utah

The DWR will offer free CWD testing for deer harvested from Central Mtns, Manti; Oquirrh-Stansbury; West Desert, Vernon; West desert, west; and West Desert, Tintic units at the following locations:

  • The DWR Salt Lake Office at 1594 W. North Temple, October 25-29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 385-368-1672 to schedule an appointment outside of these dates.
  • In the Spanish Fork Canyon (near the Covered Bridge community) October 23-25, daily from approximately 9 a.m. until dark.
  • Santaquin (exit 242 on the east side of the motorway) October 23-25, from 9 a.m. to dark.
  • In Tooele: Appointments are available by SMS at 385-208-6211 for sample collection.

Hunters can also call the DWR Springville office at 801-491-5678 for a list of taxidermists and meat processors in the area who also take CWD samples, along with the processing of the meat or taxidermy.

Southeast Utah

The DWR will offer free CWD testing for deer harvested from the Central Mtns, Manti unit at the following locations:

  • The DWR Price office (by appointment only) at 319 N. Carbonville Road, Suite A, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call 435-613-3700 to schedule an appointment for the CWD sampling.
  • The intersection of SR-31 and SR-264 and North Skyline Drive October 23-25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The parking lot south of the intersection of SR-31 and South Skyline Drive from October 23-25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hunters can also call the DWR Price office at 435-613-3700 for a list of taxidermists and meat processors in the area who also take CWD samples, along with the processing of the meat or taxidermy.

Southern Utah

The DWR offers free CWD testing for deer from the Monroe; Mount Dutton; Plateau, fish lake; Plateau, a thousand lakes; Plateau, boulder; and Kaiparowits units at the following locations:

  • The DWR Cedar City office (by appointment only) at 1470 N. Airport Road. Call 435-865-6100 to schedule an appointment for the CWD sampling.
  • On the Sand Ledges (located on Highway 24 on Mile 21 between Fishlake and Richfield – north only) October 23-24, approximately 10 a.m. to dusk.

Hunters can also call the DWR Cedar City office at 435-865-6100 for a list of taxidermists and meat processors in the area who also take CWD samples along with the processing of the meat or taxidermy.

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