The BC Wildlife Health Program is happy to report that the Kootenay samples from October and early November (479 samples) have all come back negative for CWD! These results are now posted on the website: www.gov.bc.ca/chronicwastingdisease
Mandatory submission of deer along the BC-Montana border is finished for the season. Over 1000 heads have now been submitted from the Kootenay Region. Submission numbers have also been good in the Peace Region and the Okanagan, with a number of new drop off locations established this season. Thank you to the clubs for donating and hosting freezers, and a big thank-you to all of the hunters that have participated and continue to support the Program.
The hunting season is wrapping up, but CWD testing will continue through the winter with the last of the hunter samples, road kills and any animal presenting with CWD-like symptoms. More samples mean better confidence in healthy wildlife populations, so let’s continue to be proactive and protect B.C’s deer, elk, moose and caribou from CWD.
Stay tuned for more updates in the new year.