Utah wildlife officials are renewing public reminders about chronic wasting disease (CWD) as big game hunts continue across the state, according to the latest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) wildlife news bulletin released September 26. The always-fatal neurological disease affects deer, elk, and moose, and hunters afield this fall are being asked to watch for signs of infection and to follow mandatory testing and disposal guidelines in units where CWD has been detected.
Full bulletin: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UTDWR/bulletins/42c59d3
CWD spreads through direct animal-to-animal contact and through contamination of soil, water, and feed by infectious prions shed in saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses. Infected animals may not show symptoms for months or years, making harvested-animal testing the most reliable way hunters can help track its spread. The DWR maintains sampling stations and carcass-disposal requirements in CWD-management units, and hunters harvesting deer, elk, or moose in those units should confirm current regulations before transporting or processing meat.
Hunters and anglers looking to sharpen backcountry skills before the season progresses have an added opportunity this fall. The DWR has scheduled a Backcountry Survival Clinic for Oct. 10 in Cedar Canyon, covering skills for hunters packing into remote units and anglers hiking to high-elevation lakes. Registration details are listed on the DWR event calendar.
Elsewhere in the bulletin, the division highlighted a Sandhill Crane Viewing Day set for Oct. 10 at Jensen Park in northeastern Utah, where some of the largest migratory groups of the birds in the region gather each fall. A separate exhibit opening in October at the Hardware Wildlife Education Center will showcase Utah’s nocturnal wildlife, including photography of animals active after dark.
The bulletin also pointed to a new episode of the DWR’s Wild podcast examining how deer hunt boundaries and permit numbers are set, along with the public comment process available to hunters who want to weigh in on future proposals. Permit numbers remain a primary tool for managing herd health and hunting pressure, and public input factors into decisions made ahead of each season.
Anyone hunting big game in Utah this fall is encouraged to review CWD management-unit boundaries and sampling requirements in advance, since required actions vary by unit and species.
Assisted by AI; content may contain inaccuracies.