BILLINGS – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. May 9 at the Bridger Civic Center to share information about a recent chronic wasting disease hunt in Carbon County.
Wildlife officials will discuss what they learned from the winter hunt and their management plans, as well as take comments from the public.
Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, was discovered in deer in Carbon County in November, and wildlife officials announced a special hunt for February. About 2 percent of the 339 deer killed during that hunt showed signs of CWD, which prompted the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission to develop a new management plan.
CWD is a progressive, always-fatal neurological disease that effects deer, elk and moose. It has been present for some years in states and Canadian provinces north, east and south of Montana, but was first found in wild deer in the state this fall during focused surveillance throughout south central Montana. One infected deer also was discovered along the Canadian border in Liberty County north of Chester.
See also: FWP: About 2% of 339 deer killed in special hunt near Bridger had CWD
