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Montana Considers Second Special Hunt in Response to Disease

Wildlife officials are proposing a special deer hunt in a second area of the state to control chronic wasting disease

By Associated Press

BILLINGS — Montana wildlife officials are proposing another special deer hunt in a second area of the state as they scramble to control a newly-found disease that’s fatal to deer, elk and moose.

Chronic wasting disease is a neurological animal disease that showed up in Montana this fall.

In neighboring Wyoming, it’s causing a 21 percent annual decline in mule deer populations that researchers say could cause the animals to become locally extinct.

One special hunt is already under way in Carbon County, Montana. Officials set a quota of 200 white-tailed deer and 200 mule deer, with plans to test the animals to gauge the disease’s prevalence.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is proposing to sell an additional 335 licenses to harvest 135 mule deer north of Chester on the Canadian border.