The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has completed their testing and released their annual report for CWD results in 2023.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory analyzed 5,100 samples from big game animals for CWD. Testing, completed earlier this year, included samples from various parts of the state, with 711 of them returning positive results for CWD. Thee final result was a total positive rate of 13.9%.
Jessica Jennings-Gaines, a wildlife disease specialist at Game and Fish, reported that the samples originated from hunter-harvested animals, roadkill, and animals that were either found dead or euthanized.
There was a slight decrease in the number of samples tested in 2023 compared to previous years. In 2022, 5,875 samples were analyzed, which was down from 6,884 in 2021. The percentage of positive cases in 2023 was 13.9%, similar to the 14.1% recorded in 2022, and a bit higher than the 12.2% found in 2021.
Jennings-Gaines emphasized that comparing the number of positive tests year-over-year can be misleading. The focus of the CWD surveillance program changes annually, targeting different deer and elk herd units, which impacts the number of positive cases detected. The positivity rate is tied to the prevalence of CWD within the specific herd units surveyed.
Most of the samples this year were collected by Game and Fish field personnel at hunter check stations or regional offices.
The lab spent most of the hunting season this past year conducting CWD tests, with peak activity in peak season between October and November. This work also involved preparation for surveillance, data entry, and compiling reports once the testing season ended.
You can view the final report with all compiled results here.
