News – Sheridan Media
Wyoming Game and Fish Department Public Information Specialist Christina Schmidt said several elk hunt areas in northeast Wyoming have been selected for brucellosis sampling this fall.
Brucellosis is a disease caused by the bacteria Brucella abortus. Elk, bison and domestic cattle are susceptible to infection, which can cause animals to abort calves and spread the disease further.
Game and Fish relies heavily on hunters to help collect biological samples for testing. Elk hunters in targeted hunt areas are being asked to draw a blood sample immediately after harvest using a Game and Fish sample kit, keep it cool but not frozen, and submit it soon afterward.
C. Schmidt
The targeted elk hunt areas for 2025 include 1, 2, 113, 116, 117, 122, 123, 126 and 129. Hunt areas along the western Bighorns are also part of the surveillance effort, as are others across the state.
C. Schmidt
Hunters should fill out the requested information on the card enclosed in the sampling kit and return it to a biologist or game warden, a check station, a regional Game and Fish office, or by mail using the prepaid box. Hunters who receive a kit but do not harvest an elk are encouraged to save it for next season.
There is an online video showing a couple options for taking the sample, click here. Hunters who submit a usable sample for testing will be entered into a raffle for prizes.
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Last modified: October 11, 2025