FWP to pay for CWD testing

In 2019, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) continues to monitor chronic wasting disease (CWD) in high-priority areas in parts of northern, western and southern Montana, primarily from hunter-harvested animals. Hunters who harvest a deer, elk or moose in these areas should stop at a local CWD-sampling check station to have the animal sampled. FWP staff will collect samples and submit them for testing.

There will be Special CWD Hunts occurring during the general hunting season around Libby and in the southeast portion of hunting district 400. All animals taken in these Special CWD Hunt areas must be sampled. Visit fwp.mt.gov for details.

In other areas across the state, FWP will pay for sampling for hunters who collect their own samples and send them to the FWP lab in Bozeman.

Here are the steps:

Remove the retropharyngeal lymph nodes, located in the animal’s throat area. A video is available at fwp.mt.gov/cwd demonstrates the process (look under “Submitting Your Own Sample”).

Fill out a Hunter Harvest Submission Form, which is available on the FWP website, and include a phone number and email address so FWP can send a unique CWD number. This CWD number is what hunters will use to look up test results online at fwp.mt.gov/cwd. Be sure to record the location of harvest as accurately as possible. Samples without location information will not be tested.

Put the lymph nodes in resealable bag, double bag the sample, and wrap the bag in a paper towel.

Put the filled-out submission form in a separate resealable bag so it doesn’t get wet and include it with the sample. If you are sending samples from more than one animal fill out a separate submission form for each animal and make sure that each form is with the correct sample in a sealed bag.

Place the bagged samples, an ice pack, and the bagged submission form(s) in a small box or shipping envelope and send via your choice of postal carrier. FWP recommends using a carrier that offers tracking and can deliver samples within 24-48 hours to prevent the samples from rotting. Please try to ship samples on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of each week, and avoid shipping on holidays, to prevent the samples from sitting over the weekend.

Send to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, ATTN: Wildlife Health Lab (CWD), 1400 S. 19th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59718

Test results will be posted online within three weeks.

For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/cwd.