CWD increasing in state deer, elk herds

POWELL — Sobering news resulting from a multi-year Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance program by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department between 2018 and 2022 shows significant increases in the fatal disease for the state’s prized mule deer and elk herds.

In one herd, the prevalence rate is calculated at 65% in mule deer bucks, and there are concerning increases in infected elk, including hunt areas popular for Big Horn Basin hunters.

The disease, which typically kills infected animals within two years after initial exposure, now occurs in 34 of Wyoming’s 37 mule deer herds, and 15 of the...