Hunting season is here, and state officials want to let local hunters, outfitters and processors know the latest information on what is being done this fall in regard to chronic wasting disease testing.

A meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at the Shadow Mountain Village Clubhouse, 1055 County Road 7.

The meeting is being hosted by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension office in conjunction with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Jim Grady, state field veterinarian for the CSU Cooperative Extension, will explain what the disease is, what symptoms are, how it spreads and the geographic where it has been found.

Darrel Schweitzer for the CSU Animal Diagnostic Laboratory will explain the latest testing capabilities and where hunters can access them, and Larry Wade of the Colorado Department of Agriculture will address the licensing procedures for non-federal processors.

“They’re going to have the latest information on the tests available,” said Leigh Fortson, a spokesperson with the Cooperative Extension. “We can tell people where the testing sites are and the latest information about what the consequences of the disease are.”

Advice will also be provided to hunters and processors about handling animals, Fortson said.

“We can just tell them what we know on the handling recommendations that have been made,” she said.

Jim Grady said anyone involved with hunting can benefit from the meeting.

“This is a great opportunity for everyone involved in the hunting industry to become more informed about chronic wasting disease,” Grady said. “The more we all know, the better decisions we can make.”

Prior to last spring chronic wasting disease had never been discovered in any deer or elk west of the Continental Divide.

While no elk have been discovered to be carrying the disease in Northwest Colorado, 10 wild mule deer were discovered to be infected with the disease in and around Motherwell Elk Ranch in southwest Routt County.

Because of the spread of the disease, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has set up sampling sites throughout Colorado this fall for those hunters who wish to have their animals tested.

One of those sites has been set up at 1715 North Yampa Avenue.

The samples are shipped from the sampling site to a testing facility at Colorado State University.