Following confirmation of a case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Spokane County in late July, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has filed multiple emergency rules to help prevent the spread of the disease across the state.
“CWD is a fatal illness of deer, elk, moose and caribou. The disease is caused by mutated proteins known as prions, which can contaminate the environment and be transmitted between animals through their feces, saliva and urine,” WDFW said in a news release. “Most animals with CWD appear normal until the end stages of the disease. It can only be detected through testing of lymph nodes or brain tissue. It is important to prevent a widespread outbreak of CWD in Washington to protect wildlife populations.”
The following emergency rule changes relate to CWD. These are summaries of the changes; for the full text of each emergency rule visit WDFW’s emergency rule change web page.
• Baiting: Effective Sept. 1, in game management units (GMUs) 124, 127 and 130, it is unlawful to hunt for deer, elk and moose using any type of bait placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered or otherwise used for the purpose of attracting deer, elk or moose with the intent to hunt them. It is also unlawful to use natural or synthetic scents that contain or are derived from cervid urine and glandular extracts.