This fall, deer hunters will follow new testing rules for chronic wasting disease management.

The new mandatory testing requirements apply to several hunting units in Central Idaho near U.S. 95/ Highway 55 south of Grangeville. Testing helps prevent the spread of CWD and it will let hunters know if the meat is safe to eat.

In March, the Fish and Game Commission made several changes, including:

• Adding Unit 18 to the CWD Management Zone. Now the zones include Units 14 and 18. Unit 15 was removed. If you are hunting in the zones listed above, there are special rules to follow found here. 

• Testing of whitetail deer and mule hunted in Units 23,24, and 32A is now mandatory—whole carcasses can still be removed from those units.

• There is no longer a testing requirement for mule and white-tailed deer, elk, and moose harvested in Unit 15 and moose and elk in Unit 14.

According to Fish and Game, CWD was first discovered in Idaho in 2021. The fatal disease affects deer, elk, and moose. Symptoms of CWD in wildlife include excessive salivation, trouble swallowing, and excessive thirst. It stays indefinitely in the environment.

No moose has tested positive and only two elk. Wildlife managers are not as concerned about those animals at this point.

“If ignored, CWD will infect new areas, cause more sick animals, and eventually result in fewer deer, the Fish and Game news release said. “Although elk and moose are less susceptible, CWD will also spread to them.”