Researchers looking for harvested deer, elk, moose heads

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BILLINGS — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks researchers are asking hunters to drop off heads from deer, elk and moose harvested in much of eastern Montana for chronic wasting disease surveillance.

The heads go to a state laboratory, where researchers analyze them to determine if the fatal disease has spread into the region.

FWP has barrels at four locations in Yellowstone County. They are:

n       4 th Avenue Meat Market at 117 N. 25 th Street.

n       Meat and Poultry Palace at 821 16 th St. W.

n       Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional headquarters at 2300 Lake Elmo Drive.

n       Riverfront Park at Laurel.

Hunters may drop off heads from harvested game of all genders, even if the horns and skullcaps have been removed. They also are asked to fill out a tag with information about the hunter and location of the harvest so researchers can follow up if a problem is discovered. Blank tags are available at the barrel locations.

In southern Montana, researchers are particularly interested in animals harvested in an area generally south of the Yellowstone River between Livingston and North Dakota. In northern Montana, districts north of the Missouri River and in the Breaks, from Great Falls to North Dakota are of interest.