State Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind recently approved rules designed to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease.
The disease, which was first detected in the state in 2024, is a fatal neurologic illness affecting deer, elk and moose.
The disease is caused by an infectious prion protein and transmitted between wildlife through feces, saliva, urine or contaminated environments.
There is no cure or preventative treatment.
Susewind approved all rules presented by Fish and Wildlife staff, including those related to transporting animals harvested through hunting, importing meat and other animal parts into the state, and using scent lures derived from urine or glandular materials.
He also approved a statewide ban on feeding deer, elk or moose, including baiting while hunting.
Finally, he approved mandatory chronic wasting disease testing of harvested and salvaged animals in any region where the disease has been detected.
Currently, the disease has only been detected in the eastern part of the state.
Limiting how harvested animals can be transported within the state or imported into the state reduces the chance of spreading the disease.
Scent lures derived from urine or glandular materials also have the potential to contain infected protein prions.
The ban on feeding deer, elk and moose is designed to limit the prevalence and spread of disease by keeping wildlife from congregating.
Although chronic wasting disease has only been detected in Eastern Washington, the statewide bans prevent the disease from spreading between populations.
Fish and Wildlife continues to evaluate its wildlife feeding practices in areas where elk are fed to reduce human-wildlife conflict in agricultural areas.
Testing lymph nodes in the head of carcasses is the only way to determine if an animal is infected with chronic wasting disease.
Testing helps Fish and Wildlife manage the disease by determining the extent of the outbreak, and understanding what species and areas are affected allows managers to respond to the outbreak more effectively and efficiently.
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