The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has announced the discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a new location within the Pinedale region. On March 11, an adult cow elk from Elk Hunt Area 93 at the Black Butte Feedground was found to be infected with CWD, marking the first confirmed case in this particular hunt area and feedground.
WGFD personnel promptly responded by investigating the site, collecting samples, and removing the elk carcass. This discovery is significant as Elk Hunt Area 93 is situated between two already CWD-positive elk areas, namely, areas 87 and 92.
According to the WGFD, the appearance of CWD on feed grounds in 2025 was not unexpected. The department noted that the disease has been steadily spreading across Wyoming, making this recent detection part of a concerning trend.
For context, the WGFD manages 21 feed grounds in northwest Wyoming, where supplemental winter feeding of elk has been a practice for over a hundred years. Despite the confirmation of CWD at multiple feed grounds in Wyoming, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently stated that the Jackson elk herd is unlikely to be affected by these developments.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose populations. In light of this new case, WGFD staff will intensify their monitoring efforts at feed grounds, watching closely for any elk exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
The department encourages the public to stay informed about CWD. Those seeking more information on testing procedures, transmission details, and carcass transportation and disposal regulations can visit the WGFD’s dedicated CWD webpage. Additionally, interested parties are directed to the department’s foreground webpage for updates on feed ground management strategies.
As wildlife officials grapple with the spread of CWD, this latest discovery underscores the ongoing challenges in managing the health of Wyoming’s elk populations, particularly in areas where supplemental feeding has long been a standard practice.
Tom is a former Navy Corpsman that spent some time bumbling around the deserts of Iraq with a Marine Recon unit, kicking in tent flaps and harassing sheep. Before that, he was a paramedic somewhere in DFW, also doing some Executive Protection work between shifts. Now that those exciting days are behind him, he has embraced his inner “Warrior Hippie,” and assaults 14er in his sandals, and engages in rucking adventure challenges while consuming copious water. To fund these adventures, he writes all manner of content (having also held editor positions at several publications) and teaches wilderness medicine and off-road skills. He hopes that his posts will help you find the gear that will survive whatever you can throw at it (and the training to use it). Learn from his mistakes–he is known (in certain circles) for his curse…ahem, ability…to find the breaking point of anything. You can follow him at https://linktr.ee/docrader.
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