Check stations and self-service kiosks open for CWD testing

Washington is the 35th state to have the disease within its borders. There is no known risk to humans, but health authorities recommend not eating meat from infected animals. Still, wildlife officials fear the disease could have a devastating impact on wildlife populations.

Testing is intended to help wildlife officials understand the extent of the outbreak and work to contain its spread. Samples consist of lymph nodes or brain tissue and can only be taken from dead animals, making hunting an important tool for understanding the disease.

The department has been testing animals for CWD for years and increased its efforts in 2021 after the disease was first identified in Idaho.

Hunters who participated in bow and muzzleloader seasons submitted samples. Staci Lehman, a spokeswoman for the department, said that as of Tuesday the state had collected a total of 280 samples from animals killed by hunters, recovered and roadkill.

The department’s website has instructions for hunters to collect samples themselves. The agency will also have staff available to collect samples in its offices by appointment.

Check stations will be open Saturday and Sunday near Colville, Deer Park, Chattaroy, Telford, Sprague Lake, Rosalia, Pampa Pond, Walla Walla, The Last Resort and Clarkston. The stations are open during the first peak season and reopen in the late peak season.

Self-service kiosks are available at several check stations, as well as at several locations near popular hunting areas in Northeast Washington and a handful of fire stations in Spokane County. There will be kiosks near Cheney, Medical Lake, Reardan, Sprague, Fairfield and Rockford, among other locations.

A map and complete list of all check stations and self-service kiosks are available online at wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/chronic-wasting.