Notice to Hunters

Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has not been detected in Manitoba. It has been found in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and in many of the mid-western United States. The disease seems to be spreading in many jurisdictions, including Saskatchewan and Alberta, and remains a significant problem in wild deer in those provinces. An ongoing risk assessment of the disease in adjacent jurisdictions is continuing.

Manitoba Conservation, in co-operation with Parks Canada and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, is again actively collecting and testing the following deer and elk samples for the presence of this disease. Hunters are required to submit samples.

• The complete head and upper neck of elk and deer shot during the hunting seasons in GHAs 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 18, 18A, and 22 west of PTH 83.
  
  
• Elk and deer submitted for testing under the Bovine TB surveillance program will also be tested for CWD.

If you see a deer or elk with CWD symptoms, including extreme weight loss, repetitive behavior, drooping head and ears, and drooling, you should note the precise location and contact the nearest Manitoba Conservation office.

All hunters are required by regulation to submit samples to the nearest Manitoba Conservation office or a biological sample depot.

What else is being done by Manitoba Conservation

• The importation into Manitoba of native and exotic cervids is prohibited.
• The possession of scents and other substances that contain urine, faeces, saliva or scent glands of cervids, is prohibited.
• It is illegal to bring into Manitoba a cervid that has been killed in another province or state without first removing the head, hide, hooves, mammary glands, entrails, internal organs, and spinal column. These parts must remain in the place of origin. Antlers and connecting bone plate that have been detached from the remainder of the skull and has had all hide and other tissue removed, may be brought into the province, provided the bone plate and antler bases are treated with a solution of not less than two percent (2%) chlorine. Raw capes and hides that have been detached from the animals must be placed in a sealed waterproof container to ensure that no fluids, tissue or hair can escape. Once this process has been done, they may be brought into the province provided that they are delivered, within five (5) days of entry, to a taxidermist or a licensed facility for chemical processing into a tanned product.
• These restrictions apply to everyone, including First Nations and Metis people.