Key takeaways
Saskatchewan will keep chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing for hunter-harvested deer, elk and moose in the 2026-27 season after hunters pushed back on plans to end it.
Testing is mandatory in designated wildlife management zones and voluntary elsewhere, the same system used in 2025-26.
Samples already accepted by the Ministry of Environment will be tested, and updated requirements will be communicated to hunters by Oct. 31.
Source: WestCentralOnline, Oct. 26, 2026
What happened
Saskatchewan is keeping CWD testing for hunters this season. The province reversed course after hunters said they want test results before deciding whether to eat what they harvest.
Mandatory zones: hunters in designated wildlife management zones must follow the testing requirements for their zone, species and licence.
Everywhere else: testing is voluntary, and hunters can submit eligible samples.
Samples already in: anything the Ministry of Environment has accepted will still be tested, including from voluntary areas, and hunters will get their results.
Environment Minister Darlene Rowden said hunters made it clear testing "matters to them and their families," and that the old approach keeps both hunter information and wildlife surveillance data intact.
What hunters in west-central Saskatchewan should do
Requirements depend on where the animal was harvested, and zones around Kindersley, Rosetown, Biggar, Unity, Macklin and Kerrobert can differ. Check your zone before you head out.
Keep following the current sample submission instructions until the updated rules are posted by Oct. 31 at saskatchewan.ca/CWD.
Why it matters on the farm
CWD is a fatal neurological disease in deer, elk and moose that can spread among susceptible wildlife. Testing tracks where it is and how fast it is moving.
Our read, not the ministry's: plenty of farm families hunt their own land, and steady surveillance data also matters to anyone running farmed cervids or grazing near known hot spots. Cutting the thermometer doesn't cure the fever.
This story first ran in our Oct. 27 edition.
