Below is a news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Every year hunters across Montana donate thousands of pounds of wild game to local food banks through local meat processors. With the discovery of chronic wasting disease in Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks is urging hunters to have their deer, elk and moose tested and have a negative test result in hand prior to donating no matter where in Montana these animals are harvested.
“We know this will be a shift for both hunters and processors, but with a little planning ahead, it should still be a smooth process of getting healthy wild game from the field to the homes of foodbank customers,” said Ken McDonald, Wildlife Division Administrator with FWP.
The funding for much of this donated meat comes from hunters through a program called Hunters Against Hunger. Hunters are asked to donate to the program when they purchase their license each year. The donations go to offset the cost of processing the wild game.
Donations to Hunters Against Hunger and other donation options are welcome anytime and can be done online at fwp.mt.gov or at any license provider.
Each year more than 50,000 pounds of wild game are donated to food banks across the state.
In 2017, CWD was discovered in deer in southcentral Montana. Since then, the disease has been found in multiple locations across the state.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease infecting deer, elk and moose. It is not known to infect humans. However, the Centers for Disease Control advise against consuming meat from CWD positive animals. The CDC also recommends testing animals harvested in CWD positive areas prior to consumption.
Go here for testing information.
(Photo source: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks)