In early spring 2024, a homeowner in North Spokane found a dead white-tailed deer in their backyard and called the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, or WDFW, to make a seemingly typical report.
The carcass was collected, tested and later confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease. It was the first detection of the fatal neurological illness that affects the cervid family (including deer, elk, moose and caribou) ever recorded in Washington state. Although there’s no research indicating the disease is transmissible to humans, authorities recommend not consuming animals that test positive.
Going into this year’s hunting season, which kicked off on Sept. 1 and lasts until Dec. 15, WDFW implemented rule changes to slow the disease’s spread…