The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has initiated mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine tuberculosis in select Wildlife Management Zones during this year’s hunting season.
Hunters harvesting white-tailed deer, mule deer, or elk in Wildlife Management Zones 43, 47, 50, and 55 are required to submit the animals' head to be tested for CWD. Fish and Wildlife Health Biologist with the Ministry of Environment, Erin Moffatt, says this is part of supporting long-term wildlife management, as CWD has been present in Saskatchewan since the early 2000’s.
“Chronic wasting disease is a disease of cervids and it's a neurologic disease that's caused by a pathogen called a prion and it's transmissible between deer, elk, moose and it can also contaminate the environment and remain in the environment to infect others.”
“The government has been conducting surveillance for as long as it's been detected in the province.”
Those hunting in Wildlife Management Zones 37 and 39 must submit the heads to be tested for bovine tuberculosis. Unlike CWD, bovine tuberculosis has never been detected in Saskatchewan wildlife, however, it was detected in two separate cattle herds in 2023 and 2024.
“It's a bacterial disease that can affect domestic cattle and a number of other species including deer and elk and other mammals.”
“In this case, we are conducting mandatory bovine TB testing in a part of the province where there was a domestic cattle case and there's an investigation ongoing. Part of that would be testing the wildlife in the area just to ensure that we remain bovine TB free in wildlife.”
Moffatt explains that the collection of these samples provides important information in managing the spread of disease, including how many infected animals there are. Regarding CWD, she says the mandatory testing will allow them to get an accurate sample size from the affected populations.
“We haven't been able to get the sample size needed historically to know for sure how many animals are infected with chronic wasting disease. Mandatory testing should help us bump up those numbers so that we can find out accurately how many animals are infected.”
Submitting heads for mandatory testing is part of the requirements for acquiring a hunting license in the applicable zones. Samples must be submitted within one month of harvest or by January 21st of next year, whichever comes first.
However, even hunters outside of the mandatory collection zones are encouraged to submit their heads voluntarily. Drop-off locations are located across the province, and testing is provided free of charge for hunters participating in the provincial surveillance program.
Hunters can visit the CWD Saskatchewan website to register and receive their tracking number. Heads should be double bagged with the tracking number securely attached to the bag before being deposited at a drop-off location.
Those wishing to retain and mount their head can visit a sampling station located at select drop-off locations. A technician will be on-site to extract samples.
If a submitted sample comes back positive for CWD, Moffatt says it is not advised to consume products from the animal.
“It is recommended that people don't eat the meat of an animal infected with chronic wasting disease. It's recommended that they discard the meat.”
“We have a carcass disposal program across the province where we have a number of bins that can dispose of CWD positive meat. It can then be taken to a certified facility.”
For more information, visit the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment website.