Below is a news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP).

Hunting season is approaching and FWP needs new samples to understand and actively manage chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Montana.

Hunters are our strongest asset in getting more CWD samples. And this is where you come in. You may have seen the map below in the past, but what exactly does it mean for you? This map shows the hunting districts where FWP needs new CWD samples most. This year, it includes the highlighted hunting districts of central-western and eastern Montana and a couple in north-central Montana.

Your sample (especially when it comes from a priority sampling area) helps provide FWP with the information we need. Even if you’re in a hunting district with no detections, CWD may still be present but not detected because of low sampling numbers. Concerns over CWD should not stop you from enjoying hunting season. Hunters are critical to conservation efforts across the state and protecting our wildlife heritage.

FWP chooses hunting districts each year that require more samples to know if CWD is present or what percentage of deer have CWD. In 2025, hunting districts 403 and 406 made the list because CWD was detected there for the first time last year, and we need more samples to accurately determine prevalence.

Prevalence is the portion of animals that test positive for CWD out of all the animals that are sampled for CWD in a hunting district. For example, out of 100 deer sampled in a certain area, if five test positive for CWD, this means that the prevalence is at five percent in that hunting district. FWP uses three years of data for prevalence in each hunting district. Tracking prevalence helps FWP make decisions about CWD management actions and evaluate if our management is working. Early detection and management of CWD is vital to preventing spread.

FWP has a live map on our CWD public dashboard that keeps track of how many samples we collected per hunting district. FWP has an overall goal of getting 100 samples per hunting district per year. This is difficult to achieve in some hunting districts, but with your help FWP is getting closer to these goals in new areas every year.

Some states that have had CWD for longer and at higher prevalences than Montana have seen population declines in deer. Managing CWD allows us to protect our deer herds and Montana’s hunting traditions.

(Photo/graphic credit: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)