Virginia Stout, the state wildlife veterinarian, briefed the Southeastern Regional Advisory Council on a pilot mandatory-testing unit for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Ogden mule deer general-season hunt. Stout said the pilot is intended to “start small” and that expansion to other units would depend on the pilot’s success and available funding.

Stout told the RAC that the only validated CWD tests are from dead animals and that “we don't have a validated live animal test,” adding that live-animal sampling remains experimental and the division is working with USDA and partners to advance methods. She said the program will initially provide kits only to the mandatory unit, but hunters may obtain kits at local offices.

RAC members asked about sending test kits to remote hunters and whether elk sampling would be increased. Stout said most current funding comes from USDA grants and that broader kit distribution would require additional funds: “If we do find another source of funding, that would be one of the next things we would do.”

Members also cited examples of neighboring states using mandatory testing, with one RAC member noting positive hunter participation in Colorado. Stout said the division hopes education and mandatory sampling will increase elk and mule deer testing across target units.

The presentation was informational; RAC members raised questions but no formal action was required. The division will monitor the pilot and report outcomes that could support expansion or funding requests to the Wildlife Board.