Current Events
The number of states with CWD detections as of May 2026
What is 37
A recently published paper found this to be the most sensitive individual test for CWD in elk (assay and tissue)
What is ELISA on RPLN (Galloway et al. 2026)
This term refers to a temporary social group formed during the rut in which one dominant male gathers and defends a group of females
What is a harem
This key piece of legislation enacted in 1937 provides funding for wildlife management through an excise tax on firearms and ammunition
What is the Pittman-Robertson Act
Misfolded proteins often accumulate into these insoluble structures rich in beta-sheets
What are amyloid aggregates
What is Delaware
A recently published study indicated that maternal infection with CWD can have this effect on the fetus
What is a reduction in fetal head size (Mori et al. 2026)
This species of cervid makes the longest terrestrial migration, covering ~745 miles round trip
What is the caribou
This act authorizes $70 million annually for CWD research and management from FY2022 through FY2028
What is the CWD Research and Management Act
This process occurs when a protein loses its normal three-dimensional structure due to heat or pH changes
What is denaturation
Michigan recently proposed this harvest strategy to balance buck to doe ratios and improve age class structure
What is the "one buck rule" (statewide limit of one antlered deer per hunter per year)
A recently published study from this state suggested that CWD can negatively impact white-tailed deer populations through direct reductions in density
What is Arkansas (Gaya et al. 2026)
This biome dominates much of mule deer winter range in the western United States
What is sagebrush steppe
This wildlife management strategy restricts buck harvest to deer with specific characteristics in order to influence herd age structure and buck survival
What are antler point restrictions
This cellular event can occur when protein damage becomes too extensive for repair systems
What is apoptosis (programmed cell death)
After 23 years, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently suspended this management activity due to ongoing spread of CWD
What is sharpshooting
A recently published study indicated that this management strategy can effectively slow CWD epizootics
What is maintaining hunting pressure on adult males (Moss et al. 2025)
Cervids often follow this elevation-associated vegetation pattern in spring
What is the green wave
This law is currently recognized in at least 18 states and allows private landowners to delineate hunting and fishing access boundaries using vertical paint markings on trees, fences, posts, or rocks as a legal “no trespassing” notice
What is the purple paint law
This thermodynamic principle drives many amino acids into the interior of folded proteins
What is the hydrophobic effect
Supplemental feeding practices likely contributed to the first detection of CWD on this iconic, federally protected wildlife refuge
What is the National Elk Refuge
A recently published study conducted in gene targeted mice indicated potential for CWD vaccination to have this desirable effect
What is reduction of shedding in feces and urine (Ahmed-Hassan et al. 2026)
This mule deer migration is one of the longest documented land migrations in North America, spanning roughly 150 miles between seasonal ranges
What is the Red Desert to Hoback (Wyoming Range) migration
This bipartisan federal law first passed in 2020 and reauthorized in 2024 ensured funding for critical conservation programs and included provisions for the creation of the CWD Task Force and the NASEM CWD study
What is America's Conservation Enhancement Act
This cellular system normally removes damaged or misfolded proteins through degradation
What is the ubiquitin-protease pathway