GRANGEVILLE, ID – A white-tailed buck harvested in Game Management Unit 15 south of Grangeville has tested positive for chronic wasting disease, marking the first confirmed detection of the disease in that unit, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

Fish and Game officials said the detection was not unexpected, as Unit 15 borders Unit 14, where chronic wasting disease has previously been confirmed. The animal was harvested about 20 miles from Slate Creek, the site of Idaho’s first CWD detection in 2021. Since then, multiple deer and elk have tested positive in that area, with additional detections occurring near White Bird and east toward Grangeville.

“It’s not terribly surprising because it’s a pretty logical progression,” Clearwater Region Wildlife Manager Jana Ashling said in a statement. She noted that radio-collar data shows deer and elk regularly move between these areas.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious, incurable, and fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose. The disease can persist in the environment for decades, making eradication impossible. Fish and Game officials say their primary management goal is to keep infection levels low to help maintain healthy big game populations.

So far in 2025, Fish and Game has tested more than 5,600 samples from deer and elk statewide. This is the first confirmed CWD detection outside of Units 1, 14, 18, and 23, where previous positive cases have been documented.

The department and the Fish and Game Commission will factor the new detection into the state’s overall chronic wasting disease management strategy, which is reviewed and updated annually as new information becomes available.