Virginia Stout, state wildlife veterinarian, told the Southeastern Regional Advisory Council that the division will pilot mandatory CWD testing in a single unit and evaluate results before expanding. "The goal is to start small, and then as the year progresses, we'll assess how successful it was," she said.

Stout said the pilot targets a general-season mule deer hunt in the Ogden unit; mandatory testing would apply only to that hunt while samples from other hunts and species will remain voluntary. She emphasized current constraints: "So far, we're just in kits to the mandatory unit... it just depends on kind of how this first round goes," and added that most testing funding currently comes from USDA grants.

Council members raised operational questions about kit distribution, inclusion of elk in testing, and whether hunters could donate small amounts at checkout to support testing. Stout said live-animal tests are not yet validated and that most validated diagnostics require post-mortem tissue: "The only validated tests are from dead animals. We don't have a validated live-animal test. So all of those live animal tests are experimental." She described sample collection during captures (ear punches, feces, nasal and oral swabs) as part of an effort to identify alternative tissues that might work for earlier detection.

The presentation and ensuing discussion focused on logistics and funding. Council members urged exploring voluntary mailing kits for hunters in remote areas and suggested sportsman-group funding if the pilot demonstrates value. Stout acknowledged those ideas and said she would raise the funding-suggestion with leadership.

The RAC did not take a formal vote on the pilot at this meeting. Staff said next steps depend on pilot outcomes and funding availability; if the pilot is successful, the division may add other units or hunts in later years.