By Dan Wilson & Josh Wilund

On August 1st, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced the first confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Washington state. The news hit like a gut punch, and within minutes, our phones lit up with texts from board members, emails from conservation partners, and calls from media contacts. Deep down, many of us in Washington who are tracking CWD knew this day would come, though we hoped we had more time.

For those unfamiliar, CWD is an always-fatal prion disease, related to Scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob in humans. Unlike viral or bacterial infections, prions resist normal sterilization methods and can persist in the environment long after tissue has decomposed. Primarily spread through tissue exposure or bodily fluids among cervids, CWD has been detected in elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, caribou, and moose across 34 states and four Canadian provinces. First identified in the 1960s in a captive deer population in Colorado, it has since spread rapidly through wild populations and across the country, and now it has reached Washington. The only way to test for CWD is post-mortem, using specific tissue samples, making it a silently lethal threat until it’s too late.

The Washington Chapter of BHA has been preparing for this eventuality and doing everything in our power to delay CWD’s arrival. In 2023, we signed a partnership agreement with WDFW aimed at boosting public awareness and increasing sample collection. The chapter helped sponsor 100 multi-season deer tags for a wholly separate drawing for eligible hunters who submitted samples in WDFW’s Region 1. The agency saw 314 hunters submit samples in 2022, and 478 samples were submitted in 2023.

There is zero upside to facing the reality of CWD, but Washington is more fortunate than many others. As the latest state to confirm CWD in its wildlife, we benefit from decades of scientific research and policy development across the country. WDFW has also been proactive, anticipating this challenge and preparing with the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan (CWDMP). The agency has been incredibly proactive with surveillance efforts, and as they turn the page with CWD now detected in the state, the chapter is ready to pivot lockstep in order to continue this important partnership. We are actively working to partner with other conservation orgs, experts and researchers at the state and national to help bolster efforts in Washington. We will continue to publish updates as plans are formalized.

Despite the robust support we expect and the strategic response from WDFW, this marks a new chapter in Washington’s wildlife management. Changes to our hunting regulations, cervid populations, and management policies are likely. The Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is deeply committed to working closely with policymakers in the legislature, the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and WDFW to ensure our hunting opportunities endure and our wild cervid populations have the best chances of survival and success in the face of this new challenge. We’re ready to mobilize with our partner organizations—from hunting groups to environmental advocates—to join forces in mitigating the disease’s spread and impact.

Creating broad public awareness, securing the necessary funding for CWD monitoring and research at both state and federal levels, robust testing, and transmission mitigation are the critical first steps. We also call on all groups who lay claim to caring about wildlife to stand with us in these efforts—now is the time to put words into action.

As we navigate this new reality, we urge our members to stay informed, adaptable, and receptive to the potential changes and best practices that will safeguard our wildlife and preserve our outdoor heritage. Together, we can face this challenge head-on and ensure that Washington’s wild landscapes remain for future generations.