Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Program
SCIF is dedicated to supporting the core hunting species of North America, such as deer and elk, through our Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) program.
We collaborate with expert researchers to offer vital, science-based information using advanced disease modeling techniques.
Through these collaborations, SCIF continues to apply cutting-edge science to conservation challenges—ensuring that wildlife management decisions are informed, effective, and sustainable for generations to come.
Collaborative Research:
Working with expert scientists like Dr. Belsare of Auburn University, in partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) and Arizona Game and Fish, using the OvCWD agent-based model to evaluate how management actions (like bait bans or carcass disposal rules) affect the spread of CWD.
Texas Focus:
Modeling CWD in white-tailed deer, a species critical to Texas’s economy.
Deer hunting contributes $4.6 billion in economic output, including $2.3 billion in direct spending and supporting 24,000 jobs (Texas A&M, 2022).
Arizona Focus:
Collaborating with Arizona Game and Fish Department on new modeling work, with results expected in 2026.
Georgia Communication Project
Partnering with the University of Georgia and Georgia DNR on research to improve how CWD-prevention information reaches taxidermists, meat processors, and hunters through targeted communication strategies.
