Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) offices will be open extended hours during this year’s deer and elk rifle seasons and will once again offer testing services for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
The DOW provides CWD testing in an ongoing effort to gather data about the neurological disorder that affects deer and elk. Researchers hope to get enough samples from throughout the state to get a better idea of where the disease occurs.
Successful deer and elk hunters can choose between 25 different CWD submission sites and DOW offices. Hunters may also choose to use one of 29 participating veterinarians. For a complete list of locations, addresses, and hours of operation, visit the chronic wasting disease page at the DOW Web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/CWD/index.asp.
CWD testing costs $15 per animal. Hunters using private veterinarians will pay $22 for the testing, which includes costs to ship tissue samples to the lab, plus whatever additional fees the vet may charge.
In most parts of Colorado, testing for CWD is voluntary, but it is mandatory that all deer harvested units 54, 55, 551, 66 and 67 in the Gunnison Basin be submitted for testing. Because the test is mandatory, the fee is waived when the head is submitted at a DOW submission site.
In other areas, the DOW is waiving the fee to increase the number of hunters who submit deer and elk for testing.
“The more samples we get, the greater confidence we have in our data,” explained Kathi Green, a wildlife disease expert with the DOW. “It takes 300 samples over a three year period from an area to determine the presence or absence of the disease with confidence.”
Free CWD testing is available for any deer harvested in the following units: 49, 52, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 84, 85, 86, 110, 118, 123, 140, 411, 511, 512, 521, 581, 591, 691, 741, 751, 771, 851 and 861.
In addition, CWD testing fees are waived in units 9, 19, 20, 29 and 191 on any deer taken on an antlerless license from November 1 thru January 31; and on any deer taken on Jefferson County Open Space’s Centennial Cone Property from December 1 through January 31 (Unit 38).
Free CWD testing is available for any elk harvested in the following units: 49, 53, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 69, 84, 85, 86, 110, 118, 123, 140, 511, 512, 581, 591, 691, 851 and 861.
It is mandatory that all moose hunters submit their harvested animals.
Every deer and elk license includes a detachable tag labeled “CWD Head Testing Tag.” The tag includes a bar code that can be scanned to speed up processing. Hunters should bring this tag with the head, and be prepared to provide detailed information about when and where the animal was harvested.
Hunters should avoid shooting the animal in the head; and remove the head from the carcass 2 to 4 inches below the point where the neck joins the skull (below the first vertebrae). The CWD test is conducted on lymph nodes in the throat or on the brain stem when the lymph nodes are unavailable. Testing cannot be conducted on the brain itself. Heads should be kept cool and away from flies and scavengers to protect the tissue necessary for testing, and submitted as soon as possible (within five days is best).
Non-resident hunters should check with their home state’s wildlife agency to determine if there are carcass importation restrictions in those states. Many states require hunters to bone out or process all deer and elk meat being returned to their states from states with CWD. There are similar restrictions in many NE Colorado units and hunters in other units where CWD has been found are encouraged to follow these restrictions.
The Colorado State University (CSU) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories conduct the testing for DOW. The DOW’s goal is to provide test results to hunters within five to seven working days during off-peak times and within 10 to 14 working days during peak times, early and late seasons. Hunters whose results are not available more than three weeks after submission should call the nearest DOW office for assistance.
Test results can be obtained by calling 1-800-434-0274. This number is available 24 hours a day, and hunters can get results for up to three heads in each call by keying in the head submission numbers on their CWD testing receipt. Results are also available 24 hours a day through the CWD page on the DOW Web site by clicking on the CWD Test Results option.
# # #
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) offices will be open extended hours during this year’s deer and elk rifle seasons and will once again offer testing services for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
The DOW provides CWD testing in an ongoing effort to gather data about the neurological disorder that affects deer and elk. Researchers hope to get enough samples from throughout the state to get a better idea of where the disease occurs.
Successful deer and elk hunters can choose between 25 different CWD submission sites and DOW offices. Hunters may also choose to use one of 29 participating veterinarians. For a complete list of locations, addresses, and hours of operation, visit the chronic wasting disease page at the DOW Web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/CWD/index.asp.
CWD testing costs $15 per animal. Hunters using private veterinarians will pay $22 for the testing, which includes costs to ship tissue samples to the lab, plus whatever additional fees the vet may charge.
In most parts of Colorado, testing for CWD is voluntary, but it is mandatory that all deer harvested units 54, 55, 551, 66 and 67 in the Gunnison Basin be submitted for testing. Because the test is mandatory, the fee is waived when the head is submitted at a DOW submission site.
In other areas, the DOW is waiving the fee to increase the number of hunters who submit deer and elk for testing.
“The more samples we get, the greater confidence we have in our data,” explained Kathi Green, a wildlife disease expert with the DOW. “It takes 300 samples over a three year period from an area to determine the presence or absence of the disease with confidence.”
Free CWD testing is available for any deer harvested in the following units: 49, 52, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 84, 85, 86, 110, 118, 123, 140, 411, 511, 512, 521, 581, 591, 691, 741, 751, 771, 851 and 861.
In addition, CWD testing fees are waived in units 9, 19, 20, 29 and 191 on any deer taken on an antlerless license from November 1 thru January 31; and on any deer taken on Jefferson County Open Space’s Centennial Cone Property from December 1 through January 31 (Unit 38).
Free CWD testing is available for any elk harvested in the following units: 49, 53, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 69, 84, 85, 86, 110, 118, 123, 140, 511, 512, 581, 591, 691, 851 and 861.
It is mandatory that all moose hunters submit their harvested animals.
Every deer and elk license includes a detachable tag labeled “CWD Head Testing Tag.” The tag includes a bar code that can be scanned to speed up processing. Hunters should bring this tag with the head, and be prepared to provide detailed information about when and where the animal was harvested.
Hunters should avoid shooting the animal in the head; and remove the head from the carcass 2 to 4 inches below the point where the neck joins the skull (below the first vertebrae). The CWD test is conducted on lymph nodes in the throat or on the brain stem when the lymph nodes are unavailable. Testing cannot be conducted on the brain itself. Heads should be kept cool and away from flies and scavengers to protect the tissue necessary for testing, and submitted as soon as possible (within five days is best).
Non-resident hunters should check with their home state’s wildlife agency to determine if there are carcass importation restrictions in those states. Many states require hunters to bone out or process all deer and elk meat being returned to their states from states with CWD. There are similar restrictions in many NE Colorado units and hunters in other units where CWD has been found are encouraged to follow these restrictions.
The Colorado State University (CSU) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories conduct the testing for DOW. The DOW’s goal is to provide test results to hunters within five to seven working days during off-peak times and within 10 to 14 working days during peak times, early and late seasons. Hunters whose results are not available more than three weeks after submission should call the nearest DOW office for assistance.
Test results can be obtained by calling 1-800-434-0274. This number is available 24 hours a day, and hunters can get results for up to three heads in each call by keying in the head submission numbers on their CWD testing receipt. Results are also available 24 hours a day through the CWD page on the DOW Web site by clicking on the CWD Test Results option.
# # #
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
No comments:
Post a Comment