Wildlife Society lecturers focus on CWD in state mule deer herds

Last week, the Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society held its annual conference in Cody, Wyo., inviting members, researchers, and academics to convene for three days of lectures on new and ongoing research projects relating to Wyoming’s wildlife and varied ecosystems. Among those presentations given were a series of talks on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurological disorder that affects members of the cervid family (deer, elk, moose, et al.) that is caused by misfolded, or mutated, prions. CWD is incurable and, in all cases, fatal.
On Wednesday, Tucker Russell, a Master’s student at the University of Wyoming, presented preliminary research on the migratory patterns of mule deer in the Wind River Basin.