BURST
A targeted open-season deer hunt near Cranbook led to 228 kills with no signs of chronic wasting disease.
The hunt, organized by the B.C.’s land and water ministry, was held between Jan. 5-31 to help determine the presence of the infectious disease among wildlife.
“Although no animals tested positive, targeted hunts within the established management zone aim to reduce deer population and density, providing fewer opportunities for close contact between animals and limiting the risk of CWD spread,” the ministry said.
The disease was first detected in B.C. in January 2024 in white-tailed deer and mule deer in the Kootenay region. During the 2025-26 hunting season, surveillance identified three additional cases in hunter-submitted samples from male white-tailed deer.
Nine cases of chronic wasting disease have been found in the province, all in the Kootenay region.
The ministry said 79 per cent of animals killed in the January hunt were white-tailed deer.
CWD is always fatal in infected animals and has no known cure.