2021 CWD sample numbers up from previous years

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff is on pace to collect a record number of chronic wasting disease samples from deer, elk and moose this year.

Between July 1 and Nov. 12, FWP staff collected 3,147 CWD samples, of which 1,613 were from the 2021 priority sampling areas located in northwestern, northcentral, southwestern and southcentral Montana. This is above last year’s 2,966 collected samples within that same time period. In addition, hunters have submitted 239 samples this year, down from 430 hunter-submitted samples at this time last year.

The samples were tested at the Montana D...