CWD is caused by abnormal, misfolded proteins called prions. These CWD prions accumulate throughout an animal’s body, especially in nervous system tissues, leading to a variety of symptoms and eventually death. Prions are spread between animals through feces or body fluids like saliva, blood, or urine, either through direct contact, or indirectly through environmental contamination of soil, plants, or water.

Studies have shown that CWD prions can remain in the environment for 16 years or more, so other animals can contract CWD even after an infected animal is no longer present. In other states that have had CWD for much longer than Idaho, no efforts to date have eliminated the disease once it was established. However, there are management actions that can be taken to minimize the spread and conserve infected populations.

Outside of the CWD Management Zone, Fish and Game continues to monitor for CWD throughout the state, with the highest emphasis on areas that border neighboring states with more widespread CWD like Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.

“Our goals are early detection and management of spread, and we can’t accomplish those goals without help from hunters,” Roberts says.