Chronic wasting disease

OLYMPIA–The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is once asking hunters in the Eastern Region (Region 1 including Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties) to have harvested deer and elk tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal illness of deer, elk, caribou, and moose. CWD has not been detected in Washington but has been confirmed in four Canadian provinces and 30 U.S. states, including Idaho. Hunter check stations are staffed on weekends throughout the Big Game hunting season in Region 1, as that is the closest part of Washington to Idaho. Visit our webpage for check station locations and hours. Any hunter who has their deer or elk tested goes into a random drawing for a free multi-season deer tag for next year, courtesy of a partnership between WDFW and the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.