Game officials said the animal was harvested south of Grangeville. This is the first CWD report of the season.
BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reported Wednesday the first case of chronic wasting disease in Unit 15 south of Grangeville.
Game officials said the white-tailed buck was killed about 20 miles from Slate Creek, near Unit 14, which has also had positive cases. CWD was first detected in 2021, and multiple deer and elk have tested positive for the disease.
IDFG said there has been an increase in CWD detections near White Bird and east toward Grangeville.
“It’s not terribly surprising because it’s a pretty logical progression,” said Jana Ashling, Fish and Game’s Clearwater Region wildlife manager. “We know based on radio collar data that we have animals moving between these areas.”
Chronic wasting disease is a neurological illness that causes symptoms in animals including excessive salivation, drooping head or ears, tremors, low body weight and odd behavior like showing no fear of humans and lack of coordination. However, deer and other animals can be infected months or years before exhibiting symptoms, Fish and Game noted.
In 2025, Idaho Fish and Game tested more than 5,600 samples from deer and elk. This is the first CWD detection outside of units 1, 14, 18 and 23, where deer and elk have previously tested positive.