Arizona’s deer and elk hunters are urged to attend any of the four remaining workshops about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal wildlife disease that affects the nervous system of cervid animals.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) had scheduled a total of eight workshops that began earlier this month at department headquarters and regional offices throughout the state. The remaining workshops will take place at regional offices in Pinetop (Aug. 17), Kingman (Aug. 24), Tucson (Sept. 14), and Mesa (Sept. 21).
The workshops include a short lecture (20 to 30 minutes), followed by an outdoor demonstration (20 to 30 minutes) on how to collect and submit the required lymph node tissue sampling for testing. There also will be opportunities to speak with wildlife health personnel.
Hunters can register by sending an email to: snallagatla@azgfd.gov and include name, phone number, email address for each registrant, and preferred workshop date and location. Or register here.
The remaining workshops:
- 10 a.m. Aug. 17: 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop.
- 10 a.m. Aug. 24: 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman.
- 10 a.m. Sept. 14: 555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson.
- 10 a.m. Sept. 21: 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa.
AZGFD has been testing for the presence of the disease in Arizona since 1998 and has tested more than 30,000 samples. While CWD has been found in the neighboring states of California, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, the disease has not been detected in Arizona. CWD has not been documented to cause disease in people.
