Winston Hoof Rot

[Goshawk]

I filled my muzzy tag last weekend on an adult cow that once dressed out hung just under 200lbs. She looked like a skinny jack rabbit! Both rear hooves were in very bad shape with it starting in the front. The meat was still good and red, so she was all turned into hamburger.  I am of course disappointed in the hunt, but would have dropped the hammer on her even if I knew how bad she was. Her end that way was much kinder than starving to death in front of coyotes.
I know this is blasphemy, but a small wolf pack might be the answer to removing the infected animals before they spread over to the healthy ones.

[jumpin]

Are the deer in any danger of this? (Including columbia whitetail)

[bbarnes]

Has anyone read the latest article in BUGLE magizine about hoof rot in our state.We are in a epidemic state here with nothing being done.My concern is are these elk OK to eat.THEY HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THIS UNDER WRAPS TO KEEP SELLING TAGS.My question is this if these were private live stock you would be thrown in jail for animal neglect.I say its time for a class action law suit against the WDFW for animal cruelty and wasting of big game animals.Please chime in

[bobcat]

They're not livestock, there is no way to treat them. What do you expect the WDFW to do?

[Mudman]

They're not livestock, there is no way to treat them. What do you expect the WDFW to do?

I expect them to try!!!  How about trapping a live animal for study?  These fools dont even know which of the forty types of rot they are dealing with!  How can they treat it if they dont have a diagnosis?

[bbarnes]

Heres what they should have done after they were notified of the problem they should have eliminated these animals.As its is now this hoof root can live in the ground for up to 9 months.There not telling anyone how wide spread the problem is or whats causing it.

[JLS]

Has anyone read the latest article in BUGLE magizine about hoof rot in our state.We are in a epidemic state here with nothing being done.My concern is are these elk OK to eat.THEY HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THIS UNDER WRAPS TO KEEP SELLING TAGS.My question is this if these were private live stock you would be thrown in jail for animal neglect.I say its time for a class action law suit against the WDFW for animal cruelty and wasting of big game animals.Please chime in

Yes, they kept it under wraps by putting it on their web page

[Bob33]

There not telling anyone how wide spread the problem is or whats causing it.

They have said it affects 30% to 90% of some herds. Is it more widespread than that?

They have not said what causes it because they don't know yet.

[JLS]

Heres what they should have done after they were notified of the problem they should have eliminated these animals.As its is now this hoof root can live in the ground for up to 9 months.There not telling anyone how wide spread the problem is or whats causing it.

Maybe you should read Dr. Mansfield's study on the hoof rot, I think it does a rather good job of discussing the potential causes for it.   The article even quantifies WDFW's estimates of the population that is affected by it.  Pretty covert, huh?

[jumpin]

They're not livestock, there is no way to treat them. What do you expect the WDFW to do?

Approach local farmers and land owners, Use some of the MONEY we all donate to the game department, rocky mountain elk foundation, cabala's  - whatever it takes!

Set up feeding stations,   Just Build em!  The elk will come. (have you ever been to Watt or Robinson Canyons near Thorp.)

Treat the food and the surrounding areas and ground with the proper medicine.

Remove the elk from the herds that are suffering or to far gone. (They will be the first ones to come for free food)

You can bet that there would be plenty of people to donate there Time, Feed, Money and efforts to save our best and most popular hunting opportunity. 

PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD AT THE TOP !!   KEEP POSTING 

[Mudman]

No offense but you all are missing the point!  THEY have done NOTHING to figure out which disease the elk have!  Not ONE single study of a live animal!  They dont care and are not going to handle this right or they would have done it already.  RMEF offered and tried to help.  It seems like they snubbed the effort, dunno what happened with this effort.  You talk about how to treat it but we have to know what kind before we treat it.  The only reason I can think is they already know and wont let public know for some reason.  Maybe its untreatable?  Our elk are in trouble and that is why I believe they are allowing the wolves to be established at St Helens.

[Bob33]

No offense but you all are missing the point!  THEY have done NOTHING to figure out which disease the elk have!  Not ONE single study of a live animal!  They dont care and are not going to handle this right or they would have done it already.  RMEF offered and tried to help.  It seems like they snubbed the effort, dunno what happened with this effort.  You talk about how to treat it but we have to know what kind before we treat it.  The only reason I can think is they already know and wont let public know for some reason.  Maybe its untreatable?  Our elk are in trouble and that is why I believe they are allowing the wolves to be established at St Helens.

Mudman: do you not read publications by WDFW and RMEF that contradict your statements, or do you simply believe they are all lies?

[bobcat]

For you, Mudman:   http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01443/

[Bob33]

For you, Mudman:   http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01443/

...and http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01124/wdfw01124.pdf
etc.

Furthermore, I'll put my money on the line. Let's make a bet: I will email RMEF and ask them if they have provided WDFW with any funding to study hoof rot. I will cc you and ask that you be included on RMEF's reply.
If they respond that they have, you owe me $100. If they respond that they have not provided RMEF with any funding to study hoof rot, I will pay you $100.  Are you up for it?

[Mudman]

Am I mistaken or are these all studies on dead animals???  I said not one live study.  Are you implying that its about money?  Really?  Funding?  Cmon man.  40 types of hoof rot and we dont know which one?!  Really? RMEF will be the ones to identify this, not our game dep.  Respectfully I dont believe funding is relevant on this topic.  This issue has become so important that it is about will and not money.  Bob33 can you tell me if you were in charge you would have figured this out?  I bet you would have put the effort to help our elk!  I wagered on this site and won and the gentleman didnt keep his word so no, no wagers anymore.