Since the announcement on Aug. 1, 2024 that the first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Washington was confirmed in north Spokane County, changes have gone into effect to reduce the spread of the disease throughout the state. WDFW encourages hunters and salvagers to read the full text of these emergency rule changes by reviewing the rule-making order (PDF).
- Mandatory CWD testing for salvaged deer and elk – Under Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 220-400-040 anyone who salvages a deer or elk in the CWD initial response area (IRA) of game management units (GMUs) 124 (PDF), 127 (PDF), and 130 (PDF) must submit the whole head with at least three inches of the neck attached or extracted retropharyngeal lymph nodes at the base of the skull to WDFW for chronic wasting disease sampling within 3 days of receiving a salvage permit. The head will be returned to you if you wish unless dropped off at a self-serve kiosk.
- Baiting – In GMUs 124, 127, and 130 it is now unlawful, under WAC 220-414-030, 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 or elk with the intent to hunt them; or natural or synthetic scents that contain or are derived from cervid urine and glandular extracts.
- Mandatory reporting of hunting activity – WAC 220-413-100 requires successful deer, elk, and moose hunters in GMUs 124, 127, and 130 to submit the whole head of a harvested animal with at least three inches of the neck attached or extracted retropharyngeal lymph nodes to WDFW for chronic wasting disease sampling within three days of harvesting.
- Transport restrictions of dead wildlife – If you harvest a deer, elk, or moose in any of the 100 series GMUs, only the following items may be transported to areas outside of the 100 series GMUs:
- Meat that has been de-boned where it was harvested and is imported as boned-out meat,
- Skulls and antlers (with velvet removed), antlers attached to the skull plate, or upper canine teeth (bugler, whistlers, ivories) from which all soft tissue has been removed,
- Hides or capes without heads attached,
- Tissue imported for use by a diagnostic or research laboratory,
- Finished taxidermy mounts.
For information on what CWD is, see WDFW’s Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan. To learn how to have hunter-harvested or salvaged deer, elk, or moose tested for the disease, see the Chronic wasting disease web page.