Fish & Game commission implements mandatory CWD sampling for deer harvested in 63A

Rules governing a mandatory CWD sampling area for deer:

• CWD testing of all hunter-harvested mule deer and white-tailed deer from GMUs 14, 18, 23, 24, 32A, 63A, and a portion of Unit 1 is mandatory.
• Heads or lymph nodes must be submitted within 10 days of harvest.
• GMUs 23, 24, 32A, and 63A are not currently part of a CWD Management Zone and the other rules associated with a CWD Management Zone do not apply in these GMUs.

Collecting a CWD sample

Samples can be submitted in a few different ways. Hunters can collect the sample themselves and drop it off at an approved collection site or head barrel, or they can bring their harvest into a Regional Office during regular business hours. Staff are also happy to collect samples for you at any of their Big Game Check Stations run during the Fall hunting seasons. 

Please be mindful that lymph nodes and brain stem tissue from fresh or frozen harvested heads are the only way to test for CWD. Meat or muscle tissue cannot be used. A video and additional information on how to collect your own CWD sample for testing can be found on Fish and Game’s website.

Where can you get a free CWD sampling kit?

Hunters with a history of hunting deer in GMU 63A or those with controlled hunts in the unit should receive a sample kit with instructions in the mail before their hunt. Those hunters who are new to hunting this unit, or have hunted it infrequently, can request a free sampling kit by mail at  https://idfg.idaho.gov/cwd/sampling-kit-request. Sampling kits will also be available at any of the many sampling collection sites placed at boat launches around the South Fork River in 63A or at the Regional Office. 

CWD sample collection sites

Eight sample collection stations will be available in 63A to make turning in a sample easier. Locations include: Deer Parks WMA at Ringel Lane parking area, Mike Walker Boat Ramp, Menan Boat Ramp, Lorenzo Boat Ramp, Twin Bridges Access Area, Heise Bridge Boat Access, Byington Boat Ramp, and the Idaho Falls Regional Fish and Game Office. A complete list of sample collection locations and maps can be found here on Fish and Game’s CWD sample drop-off webpage.