{"id":23504,"date":"2025-11-18T11:45:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/?p=23504"},"modified":"2025-11-18T11:45:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:45:35","slug":"azgfd-asks-hunters-to-help-keep-cwd-at-bay-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/2025\/11\/18\/azgfd-asks-hunters-to-help-keep-cwd-at-bay-3\/","title":{"rendered":"AZGFD asks hunters to help keep CWD at bay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NEWS RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov. 18, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHOENIX \u2014 The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is asking hunters to continue doing their part to help keep Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) at bay. CWD is a fatal wildlife disease that affects the nervous system of deer and elk.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All successful deer and elk hunters are encouraged to bring the head of their harvested animal \u2014 especially bucks and bulls \u2014 to any department office statewide<\/strong><\/a> between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The department is requesting that hunters call in advance before delivering a head for sampling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The preferred method for storage is to place the head in a heavy-duty plastic trash bag, and keep it cold or frozen until it can be sampled. The department also requests hunters to provide accurate hunter information (name, telephone number), as well as hunt information (hunt number, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, state, and hunting license number). This information is crucial should CWD be detected in a sample.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an alternative, hunters can view an instructional video on how to collect their own samples on AZGFD\u2019s website (www.azgfd.com\/healthy<\/strong><\/a>), then bring those samples to any department office statewide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AZGFD is hoping to sample 1,500 deer and elk this season.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Department officials have not detected any cases of CWD in the 600-plus deer (mule and white-tailed) and elk that have been harvested by hunters and voluntarily submitted for testing this fall. Game and Fish has been testing for the presence of the disease in Arizona since 1998. While CWD has been found in the neighboring states of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and California, the disease has not been detected in Arizona. CWD has not been documented to cause disease in people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CWD is transmitted and spread by animal movement and direct contact, which means the illegal importation of a cervid carcass or parts with brain or spinal column tissue of an infected animal could introduce the disease into Arizona. For that reason, AZGFD urges hunters who return to Arizona with a harvested deer or elk from another state to follow these guidelines: <\/p>\n\n\n\n