Donate
Search wpr.org
Banner with the text Grateful for members like you! Make your 2025 tax-deductible gift before Dec. 31. and a red Donate Now button over a background with apples.
, ,

Captive Elk Tests Positive For Chronic Wasting Disease

DATCP: Captive Elk Lived On Smoking Gun Elk Farm In Burnett County

By
elk
In this Oct. 1, 2006 file photo, a bull elk keeps a watchful eye on a herd of cow elk in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colo. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

State officials say a captive elk in far northwestern Wisconsin has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said Monday that test results have confirmed a 6-year-old male elk from the Smoking Gun Elk farm in Burnett County was infected. The animal was euthanized due to an injury and showed no symptoms.

The department has quarantined the farm and the remaining five elk there. The quarantine means no animals can move on or off the property. No elk has left the farm since the herd was formed in 2014.

News with a little more humanity

WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The farm will keep testing all elk that die to see if the disease has spread. The department is investigating the dead elk’s history to determine if other herds were exposed to it.

Text over image reads Grateful for members like you! Make your 2025 tax-deductible gift before Dec. 31. Red button below says Donate Now. Background shows a pomegranate and nuts.

© Copyright 2025 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Related Stories