Just weeks after officially confirming the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease in several whitetail and mule deer in Montana, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission sent a letter to Wyoming wildlife officials asking them to stop utilizing elk feeding grounds.
“As westerners, we all innately understand that feeding wildlife is a mistake and ultimately harms the very wildlife we all cherish,” the letter states. “Montana’s ability to combat CWD will depend on decisions that Wyoming makes about its wildlife management. Over the long-term, the feed grounds make your wildlife populations less healthy, less stable, and much more vulnerable to a catastrophic event.”
The Montana commission recently approved a special CWD hunt aimed at helping biologists determine the prevalence and distribution of the disease.
According to the Jackson Hole News and Guide, wildlife officials are yet to discover CWD at any of its 22 feeding grounds or at the National Elk Refuge.
“As your neighbor, we ask you to begin the process of closing feed founds,” the letter states.
(Photo source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)