A wildlife veterinarian with North Dakota Game and Fish says chronic wasting disease in deer is not very prevalent in the state – yet.
Dr. Charlie Bahnson said it’s now present in only two regions of the state – South-Central North Dakota, in Grant and Sioux Counties, and in the Northwest, in Divide, Williams and McKenzie Counties.
"Right now, it looks like it's about one or two percent of deer in those areas are affected," Bahnson said. "And we're hoping to keep it at those levels."
Bahnson said the recent discovery of two mule deer in the Northwest testing positive for CWD doesn’t mean doom for hunting in that area.
"It means that we as hunters need to take steps to keep this disease in check," Bahnson said. "We know it's a serious disease, and a serious threat to the future of hunting. But the advantage is in our hands, in that we can be pro-active now and keep things from getting out of control."
Bahnson said Game and Fish has a management strategy to keep the disease from spreading.
