Opportunities From: Arizona Game and Fish Department

Volunteer: Chronic Wasting Disease

Since its discovery in 1967, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) presents perhaps the single greatest threat to the populations of cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou) in the U.S. CWD is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) which results in neurological symptoms, poor body conditions, and eventually death. Unlike many other contagious diseases, CWD is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion. When misfolded prions are introduced to healthy animals, they induce that animal’s health prions to misfold themselves. The course of infection for CWD can take up to two years before death with animals frequently being killed by predators, hunters, or vehicles due to decreased cognitive ability. Recognition of CWD can be difficult particularly because the infected animals can appear normal for a long time. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) runs a CWD surveillance program to promote early detection of the disease in the state.

To date, CWD has remained undetected in Arizona, but detections have been found in several neighboring states (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, California). With your help, we intend to keep Arizona CWD free to protect our wildlife resources! Our current surveillance program relies on lymph node and obex brain stem samples collected from hunter harvests. Partnering taxidermists, meat processors, hunt guides, and hunters help provide these samples for us to monitor our deer and elk populations. Additionally, a check station at Jacob Lake helps monitor the Kaibab plateau area for CWD. Your responsibility as a volunteer will be helping support these efforts by transporting and packaging samples, providing CWD education, and taking samples yourself (once trained!). As a volunteer, we hope you will learn more about cervid biology, chronic wasting disease, and how the Wildlife Health Program operates.


Though weekly hours commitment may vary depending on the need, hunts, and staff availability, we expect volunteers to contribute at least 20 hours over the course of the surveillance period. Sampling shifts will typically range from 8 to 12 hours, though depending on staffing availability shorter hours may be possible. Transportation and education shifts will vary depending on exact needs, but should not typically exceed 8 hours.


Our goal is to have a strong reliable network of volunteers throughout the state with primary focus around Flagstaff, Prescott, Kaibab plateau, Payson, Pinetop-Lakeside, Globe, Phoenix, and Tucson. That said, we welcome help wherever and whenever possible! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, please allow at least two weeks for a response. For questions, email Wildlife Health at cwd@azgfd.gov.

Program: Higher Education Students

Since its discovery in 1967, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) presents perhaps the single greatest threat to the populations of cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou) in the U.S. CWD is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) which results in neurological symptoms, poor body conditions, and eventually death. Unlike many other contagious diseases, CWD is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion. When misfolded prions are introduced to healthy animals, they induce that animal’s health prions to misfold themselves. The course of infection for CWD can take up to two years before death with animals frequently being killed by predators, hunters, or vehicles due to decreased cognitive ability. Recognition of CWD can be difficult particularly because the infected animals can appear normal for a long time. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) runs a CWD surveillance program to promote early detection of the disease in the state.

To date, CWD has remained undetected in Arizona, but detections have been found in several neighboring states (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, California). With your help, we intend to keep Arizona CWD free to protect our wildlife resources! Our current surveillance program relies on lymph node and obex brain stem samples collected from hunter harvests. Partnering taxidermists, meat processors, hunt guides, and hunters help provide these samples for us to monitor our deer and elk populations. Additionally, a check station at Jacob Lake helps monitor the Kaibab plateau area for CWD. Your responsibility as a volunteer will be helping support these efforts by transporting and packaging samples, providing CWD education, and taking samples yourself (once trained!). As a volunteer, we hope you will learn more about cervid biology, chronic wasting disease, and how the Wildlife Health Program operates.


Though weekly hours commitment may vary depending on the need, hunts, and staff availability, we expect volunteers to contribute at least 20 hours over the course of the surveillance period. Sampling shifts will typically range from 8 to 12 hours, though depending on staffing availability shorter hours may be possible. Transportation and education shifts will vary depending on exact needs, but should not typically exceed 8 hours.


Our goal is to have a strong reliable network of volunteers throughout the state with primary focus around Flagstaff, Prescott, Kaibab plateau, Payson, Pinetop-Lakeside, Globe, Phoenix, and Tucson. That said, we welcome help wherever and whenever possible! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, please allow at least two weeks for a response. For questions, email Wildlife Health at cwd@azgfd.gov.

Program: Higher Education Students

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 85086

Allow Groups: No