FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION — Wildlife officials on the Flathead Reservation are sounding the alarm as hunters head into the peak of the season.
A new suspected case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected, raising concerns about the impact on local deer populations.
Watch to learn more about CWD on the Flathead Indian Reservation:
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are urging hunters to help stop the spread and are keeping a close eye on CWD.
CSKT reports another suspected case was found in a harvested white-tailed deer earlier this month.
CSKT’s Division of Fish, Wildlife and Recreation is urging hunters to stop at local CWD testing sites.
They say early detection is critical because the disease can spread quickly and have a major impact on game populations.
Officials are now ramping up their management plan to slow the spread and protect wildlife across the reservation.
"It’s a challenging thing to have in your area, if hunters are out hunting and they harvest a deer, either mule deer or whitetail and elk, or a moos,e they should have that animal tested, we have hunter check stations set up around the Flathead Indian Reservation for non tribal members or off reservation hunters for off reservation hunting that came through. They could get a sample taken if they are coming home here with an off-reservation animal. We take those samples. We keep them cool and generally on Monday, we send those out to be tested." - CSKT Division of Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Division Manager Whisper Camal Means
The CSKT Division of Fish, Wildlife and Recreation is urging hunters not to eat game meat until test results return, usually in seven to 10 days. If the animal tests positive, it should be disposed of at a Class 2 landfill.
