Chronic Wasting Disease Emerges as Growing Threat to Jackson Hole Elk Herds

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a deadly and progressive prion disease, has now been detected in the Fall Creek Elk Herd, marking a troubling milestone for the region’s wildlife, Wyo File reports.

First discovered in late 2023, the case was confirmed following the report of a dead cow elk south of Jackson, Wyoming, near public land.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel responded to the call and conducted an investigation. After collecting a tissue sample, the agency confirmed that the elk had tested positive for CWD, a disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system of deer, elk, and moose. This is the first confirmed case of CWD in the Fall Creek Elk Herd, as well as in Game and Fish’s hunt area 84, which spans the Gros Ventre and Wyoming mountain ranges south of Jackson.

The discovery has significant implications for wildlife management in the area, as the presence of CWD could influence decisions surrounding feedground operations. Elk that congregate around human-supplied feed can contribute to the spread of the disease, and wildlife managers must consider this factor when determining the future of such programs.

CWD has been steadily spreading among the elk herds in western Wyoming, but not as rapidly as some feared. The disease was first detected in the Jackson Elk Herd in late 2020 when a hunter-killed cow elk tested positive in Grand Teton National Park. Since then, CWD has been found in other herds, including those south of Pinedale in 2021 and 2022. The disease also appeared in the Piney Herd in late 2023. With the addition of the Fall Creek Herd, CWD continues to establish itself across the region, adding complexity to efforts to manage the health of elk populations in Wyoming.