| CHRONIC
WASTING DISEASE TESTING PROJECT 
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Wildlife
Management Program is beginning the third year of a chronic
wasting disease (CWD) testing project. The chronic wasting
disease-testing project will assist wildlife managers in
assessing the health of resident wildlife.
The results of the project will allow the Tribal Wildlife
Management Program to examine both deer and elk reservation
wide. These findings will assist in determining whether to
continue the monitoring process or proceed with a more active
management plan.
"CWD has not been found within wild populations of free
ranging deer or elk within the state of Montana," said Stephanie
Gillin, Tribal Wildlife Biologist. "This grant provides an
opportunity to proactively examine resident populations.’’ added
Gillin.
The Tribal Wildlife Management Program will collect the brain
stems deer and elk or testing. The collection process will begin
October 9, 2006 and continue throughout the hunting season.
Hunters are asked to assist this project by dropping off deer
and elk heads with the first and second vertebrae intact to the
Tribal Wildlife Management Program. If you harvest a buck or
bull and would like to keep the head or want to keep the head of
your harvested animal for any reason, simply call and we can
either work with the taxidermist, meat processor or collect our
sample on site.
“While we do not anticipate finding CWD on the Reservation at
this time, our concerns are for the continued health of big
game.” according to Gillin.
Deer and elk brain stems must be fresh and examined within 2
days of harvest in order to collect a sample for this project.
Deer and elk heads can be dropped of at the Tribal Wildlife
Program office at the old Mission Valley Power Office in Polson
or call us to make arrangement for an alternative drop site.
For more information about CWD or to participate in this CWD
testing project contact Stephanie Gillin or Germaine White at
883 -2888.
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