PINEDALE, Wyo. — On Tuesday, March 11, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) announced the detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in an adult cow elk from Elk Hunt Area 93 at the Black Butte Feedground in the Pinedale region.
WGFD personnel investigated, collected samples and removed the carcass after discovering the elk, according to the WGFD press release.
The WGFD wrote that Elk Hunt Area 93 is bordered by two CWD-positive elk areas: 87 and 92. This is the first documented case of CWD in the hunt area and the first confirmed case of an elk with CWD on this feedground, per the press release.
“The discovery of CWD on feedgrounds in 2025 has been anticipated as the disease has continued to spread across the state,” the WGFD said via press release.
The WGFD operates 21 feedgrounds in northwest Wyoming, where supplemental winter feeding has occurred for over a century. Amid positive CWD confirmations at multiple Wyoming feedgrounds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told Buckrail on March 4 that the Jackson elk herd are unlikely to be affected.
According to the WGFD, CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. Game and Fish personnel will continue to monitor feedgrounds for elk displaying signs of the disease.
For more information on CWD testing, transmission, carcass transportation and disposal regulations, visit the CWD webpage. To stay updated on feedground management efforts, visit the feedground webpage.
