White-tailed deer, mule deer and elk now must be tested in several wildlife management zones (WMZs) in Saskatchewan during the upcoming hunting season. The mandatory tests are to detect cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD), as well as bovine tuberculosis (TB), which many are concerned could be transmitted through game animals.
Darrell Crabbe is the executive director of the Sask. Wildlife Federation. His organization has been calling for mandatory testing since 2019.
“The mandatory testing for CWD and these other areas are as much for an expansion of an agricultural process than it is about the science,” Crabbe said. “It happens to provide us some good information on prevalence in some zones that historically haven’t had any.”
The province said mandatory CWD testing will be conducted in WMZs 43, 47, 50 and 55. On top of that, in response to confirmed cases in two separate cattle herds in 2023 and 2024, mandatory bovine tuberculosis testing will take place in WMZs 37 and 39. You can see what WMZ an area falls under using the province’s interactive map.
“Historically we didn’t have a whole bunch of information in those zones that they’re talking about here, so it’ll be good to have some of that data to work with,” Crabbe said. “We firmly believe that hunters should always be at the front of the line to assist with citizen science to try to rectify any of these types of conditions we have to deal with.”
In a statement released on Monday, Environment Minister Travis Keisig said monitoring wildlife health protects the hunting and agriculture economies.
“We rely on hunters to submit samples for testing, and we appreciate their co-operation and thank them for their continued support,” Keisig said.
According to the 2023-24 CWD Surveillance Program, Saskatchewan had some of the highest rates of the disease in North America.
Hunters harvesting any deer or elk in those zones will have to submit the animals’ heads for testing within one month of death or by Jan. 21, 2026, whichever comes first.
The provincial government and the Sask. Wildlife Federation encourage hunters to voluntarily submit samples in all zones outside of those with mandatory testing, to get a better sense of the spread.
Drop-off locations will be available throughout the province and testing is free. The Ministry of Environment said it will also be adding more bins for the safe disposal of carcasses or meat from CWD positive animals.
