Wildlife diseases
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Deer check stations for chronic wasting disease

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources needs your cooperation.

Hunters will play an important role in chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance happening this year at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources check stations. During the first few days of the rifle hunt, we will be collecting deer tissue samples at a number of check stations across the state. Successful hunters who have harvested deer from this season's CWD sampling areas may bring tissue samples to be tested for CWD free of charge. Hunters who wish to test deer harvested from other units may send the deer's head to the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Logan or Spanish Fork and pay a $25 lab fee.

Download a map of the chronic wasting disease sampling areas for the 2023–24 hunting season.

When you stop at a check station, agency staff will:

  • Take lymph nodes from your deer (you will need to leave about 6 inches of the animal's neck and windpipe attached below the jaw so that we can remove the lymph nodes for the sample)
  • Ask you a few questions, including the location where the deer was harvested

The entire process will take a few minutes, and your cooperation will help us monitor the disease and study its impact on the state's deer herds. Testing results will be available for you to view online within six weeks of sampling.

Chronic wasting disease — a degenerative neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose — was first detected in Utah in 2002. As of Nov. 28, 2023, 188 mule deer and four elk have tested positive for CWD. Learn more about the disease and where it has been found in Utah.

Although there isn't proof that CWD poses a risk for human health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend the consumption of animals that test positive for CWD.

Check station locations

You can get your deer checked at the following locations during the hunting season:

Northern Utah

Location Dates and times
Mountain Dell Reservoir exit, westbound I-80 and U.S. Highway 65 Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dusk
Mountain Green Rest Area, westbound I-84 Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dusk
West of Kamas, Highway 248 at the Browns Canyon pull-off Oct. 21–22, from roughly 9 a.m. to dusk
DWR Ogden office
515 E. 5300 South
Ogden, UT 84405
Oct. 23–27 and 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. (By appointment only. Call 801-476-2740 to make an appointment.)

Tests are free for deer harvested from the Morgan-South Rich, East Canyon and Chalk Creek units. Call the DWR Ogden office at 801-476-2740 for more information.

Northeastern Utah

Location Dates and times
DWR Vernal office
318 N. Vernal Ave.
Vernal, UT 84078
Oct. 23–27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (By appointment only. Call 435-781-9453 to make an appointment.)
Near Strawberry Reservoir, at the junction of U.S. Highway 40 and Co-op Creek Road (between mile markers 41 and 42) Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dark
Just north of Vernal on U.S. Highway 191 at the Steinaker Reservoir rest stop, near mile marker 358 Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dark
In Manila on SR 43, between 100 West and 200 West Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dark

Tests are free for deer harvested from the South Slope, Yellowstone; South Slope, Bonanza/Vernal; South Slope, Diamond Mtn; Nine Mile, Anthro; and Wasatch Mtns, East units. Call the DWR Vernal office at 435-781-9453 for more information.

Central Utah

Location Dates and times
Spanish Fork Canyon (near the Covered Bridge community) Oct. 21–23, from roughly 9 a.m. to dark
Santaquin (I-15 exit 242 on the east side of highway) Oct. 21–23, from 9 a.m. to dark
DWR Springville office
1115 N. Main St.
Springville, UT 84663
Oct. 24–27 (By appointment only. Call 801-491-5678 to make an appointment.)
DWR Salt Lake office
1594 W. North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
Oct. 24–27 (By appointment only. Call 385-835-2729 to make an appointment.)

Tests are free for deer harvested from the Wasatch Mtns, West and East; the Central Mtns, Manti and Nebo; and the Oquirrh-Stansbury unit. Call the DWR Springville office at 801-491-5678 for more information.

Southeastern Utah

Location Dates and times
DWR Price office
319 N. Carbonville Road Suite A
Price, UT 84501
Oct. 23–27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (By appointment only. Call 435-613-3700 to make an appointment.)
For the Nine Mile unit: Miller's Travel Center in Wellington (at the junction of State Route 6 and the Nine Mile Canyon Road) Oct. 21–23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For the Central Mtns, Manti unit: Spanish Fork Canyon (near the Covered Bridge community) Oct. 21–23, from 9 a.m. to dark

Tests are free for deer harvested from the Nine Mile, Range Creek and Central Mtns, Manti units. Call the DWR Price office at 435-613-3700 for more information.

Southern Utah

Location Dates and times
DWR Cedar City office
1470 N. Airport Road
Cedar City, UT 84721
By appointment only. Call 435-865-6100 to make an appointment.
I-15 Scipio exit (on the east side of I-15) Oct. 21–22, from 10 a.m. to dark

Call one of the phone numbers listed in the email sent to hunters with permits for the Beaver, Fillmore and Southwest Desert hunting units.

Tests are free for deer harvested from the Southwest Desert, Beaver and Fillmore/Pahvant and Oak Creek units. Call the DWR Cedar City office at 435-865-6100 for more information.

Additional options

We will periodically have personnel available during the first few days of the hunt, or you can drop off a head during the season at one of the following meat lockers:

  • Ungerman's Meats at 790 N. 400 East in Huntington
  • JC Meats at 3540 S. Highway 6 in Price
  • Four-Point Meat Processing at 81 W. 200 South in Monticello

If you have questions, please contact a Division office.

West Nile virus bird identification

Below are common species affected by West Nile virus. The Division of Wildlife Resources is no longer collecting these birds for West Nile virus testing. However, if you live within Salt Lake County, the Salt Lake County Health Department is conducting a special study and might collect your bird for testing. You may contact them at 801-534-4600.

Birds of the corvid family

Common raven
Common Raven

Corvus corax

Identification tips:

  • Length: 24"
  • Wingspan: 53"
  • Weight: 2.6 lb
  • Entirely black plumage
  • Long narrow wings, wedged shaped tail, heavy bill
  • Larger than the American Crow and not as gregarious
American crow
American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Identification tips:

  • Length: 16–18"
  • Wingspan: 39"
  • Weight: 1lb
  • Entirely black plumage
  • Squared-off tail
  • Short tail, broad wings
Black-billed magpie
Black-billed Magpie

Pica pica

Identification tips:

  • Length: 19"
  • Wingspan: 25"
  • Weight: 6 oz.
  • Color: White and black
  • Plumage often appears iridescent
  • White patches on wings in flight
Western scrub jay
Western scrub jay

Aphelocoma californica

Identification tips:

  • Length: 11–13"
  • Crestless jay usually associated with oaks
  • Color: Head, wings and tail are blue. Back is pale brownish; white throat.
Stellar's jay
Stellar's Jay

Cyanocitta stelleri

Identification tips:

  • Length: 12–13"
  • A large, dark, black and blue bird
  • Long crest
  • Foreparts blackish, rest of body blue

Raptors (Hawks, Eagles and Falcons)

Raptors typically have a strong hooked beak and long curved talons. All raptors are wanted for WNV testing. Some examples are listed below.

Red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Identification tips:

  • Length: 19–25"
  • Distinctive red coloration on topside of tail
  • Light colored breast with streaked belly
Northern goshawk
Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

Identification tips:

  • Length: 20–26"
  • Large robust hawk with longish tail
  • Adult: Crown and cheek blackish with broad white stripe over the eye. Immature (shown): Pale stripe over the eye; irregular tail-banding
Golden eagle
Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Identification tips:

  • Length: 30–40"
  • Wingspan: 7 ft.
  • Glides and soars flat winged
  • A gold band of feathers on the back of neck
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