ASSOCIATED PRESS

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A hunter has killed a buck mule deer in the Shoshone National Forest that tested positive for a fatal neurological disorder.

This is the third hunting area near Yellowstone National Park where chronic wasting disease has been found, the Jackson Hole News and Guide reported.

This recent case is not a surprise, Scott Edberg of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said in a statement .

"The disease is also found in elk and moose, but research has not shown the same levels of impact at the population level," Edberg said. "Nonetheless, this latest CWD-positive deer is not a surprise as CWD was previously detected in the North Fork of the Shoshone River area. But it does show the importance of having a management plan and the need to increase our surveillance in western Wyoming, which has been underway for some time."

Yellowstone National Park did not respond to requests for comment.

"The game herds that are seen, appreciated and beloved by millions of visitors to Yellowstone and surrounding areas every single year may be affected by this disease," said Lloyd Dorsey of the Sierra Club.

The National Elk Refuge will host a daylong forum Dec. 7 on the disease at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.