BONNERS FERRY, Idaho — After three white-tailed deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) near Bonners Ferry, a new CWD Management Zone has been created in the Panhandle Region. This zone covers the portion of Unit 1 in Boundary County, east of the Selkirk Mountains.
Starting Oct. 1, hunters in this area must follow new regulations according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). All hunter-harvested deer from the CWD Management Zone are required to undergo testing for the disease. Additionally, it is now illegal to transport any deer, elk or moose carcass out of this defined portion of Unit 1.
To assist hunters, DFG said they would expand drop-off locations for deer heads and lymph nodes, as well as increase check stations during the deer season. More details about locations and dates are available through IDFG.
The first indication of CWD in North Idaho came in July when an adult white-tailed doe found dead tested positive about three miles north of Bonners Ferry. Following this, Fish and Game conducted a surveillance hunt in late August, sampling 172 deer, with two additional cases testing positive.
IDFG are urging hunters across the state to submit heads or lymph nodes from harvested and salvaged deer for CWD testing. This service is free, and hunters will be notified if their samples come back positive, helping to monitor and manage the spread of the disease.
