Elk shot west of I-5 with hoof rot?

[Spuddieselwwu]

Father in law shot one Monday with pretty bad hoof-rot in Ryderwood.  Anyone else shoot any w/ it west of I-5?

[mulehunter]

pic?

[Curly]

Ryderwood area has long been known for elk with hoof rot.  Should be at least a few guys on here chime in with stories about it.

[Bob33]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01443/wdfw01443.pdf

Check out the survey maps. There have been high incidences of hoof rot west of I-5 for many years.

[spotter26]

I have seen elk alot of elk in the boisfort valley with hoof rot, its gotten so bad we have quit applying for the boisfort permits, we saw a herd of 20 elk, we counted 18 of them that were limping, or not putting weight on their feet altogether. The elk were so bad they couldnt even run when they took off. Ive watched it at least for the last 5-6 yrs, becoming really bad. We have taken elk in the area, a few miles back in off the valley floor and the elk seem to be doing ok.

[Jayfire83]

I've killed a couple in boistfort with hoof rot.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

I live in Boistfort and the rot is really bad.

[Prime Time]

It's been around out boistfort and pe ell way for at least the past 10 years..not a pretty sight.

[TheHunt]

Pictures?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I am curious about all this hoof rot, I have heard rumors of it out where I hunt, but so far all tracks I have seen, and harvested animals look normal. But I did not get one during early season, I live in Chehalis, right across the border from Ryderwood and would not mind filling a tag on a cow elk that cannot run away and should be removed.
If you can tie one to a tree in late November for me....

[redalder]

Lots of hoof rot in the Willapa Hills unit, for at least the past couple of years. Last year and this summer, every group of elk that I saw had limpers in it.

[Alan K]

It's funny (sarcasm, sickening actually) how just now hoof rot is starting to get enough attention that the game department has decided to try and do something about it.  It's crippled the Ryderwood herd for a decade, but only when it starts getting bad in the beloved St. Helens elk herd do they decide to do anything.

[AKBowman]

Lots of hoof rot in the Willapa Hills unit, for at least the past couple of years. Last year and this summer, every group of elk that I saw had limpers in it.

I've hunted that unit for 6 years and never seen one with hoof rot, never sen on eloping and I've seen hundreds. Seen many killed and never seen one with hoof rot, it's pretty isolated around Pe El and the Weyerhauser Pe El tree farm. Never seen it west if there.

[bucklucky]

Its in the  667 Now 

[redalder]

Lots of hoof rot in the Willapa Hills unit, for at least the past couple of years. Last year and this summer, every group of elk that I saw had limpers in it.

I've hunted that unit for 6 years and never seen one with hoof rot, never sen on eloping and I've seen hundreds. Seen many killed and never seen one with hoof rot, it's pretty isolated around Pe El and the Weyerhauser Pe El tree farm. Never seen it west if there.

Interesting. Are you hunting up in the back up high, or down in the bottomlands? I've lived here for over twelve years, and been hunting for five, and seen limpers all over the place for at least the last two years. But I'm near the river and hunting mostly in the lower elevations and the southern part of the GMU. Curious if it's less bad up high, or in different areas. I haven't noticed any limpers in the Deep River herd, but lots where I live in Skamokawa, and some over towards Cathlamet, too.

I had a cow with the worst case of it I've ever seen, hanging around my place for a couple of weeks last fall. Coyotes finally got her, and when I had a chance to look at it up close, it was pretty awful. Coyotes left the bad hoof rot leg alone. Other neighbors of mine had a cow with bad hoof rot die on their place last fall, too, but they buried it with a tractor before I had a chance to look at that one and take any pictures.

[mjustice79]

I will be moving to WA state next month on the west side. I keep reading about hoof rot. Other than the obvious limping, what are some other signs that an elk will have it? Also, will the meat be safe to eat even if I do kill an elk with hoof rot? Thanks

[HntnFsh]

Over grown hoofs. We call it elfs foot. A hoof may be 6 or 8 inches longer than normal. May not have a hoof at all. Its usually pretty obvious. We have ate a lot of elk with hoof rot. Just try not to use any meat from the affected area. Smell it. look at it. you can usually tell if its going to be edible. The affected quarter can be quite lean in comparison to the rest of the animal too. No muscle tone due to lack of use.

[billythekidrock]

Three hoof prints and a dimple in the mud or snow will let you know when it's really bad.

[RadSav]

I shot a cow west of Pe Ell five or six years ago.  She was in a herd of 17.  I had better shots at a couple of sickly limping old cows and decided to take the healthy 2.5 year old.  There were four 2X2 bulls in that herd as well.  I tried growing a third point on each one no luck.  I had never seen a 2X2 bull until I moved to Washington.  Man there are a lot of them here!

I remember reading a report where they claimed this whole hoof rot problem started in the Ryderwood Unit.  Don't know if there is any truth to that rumor or not.  Doubt the WDFW has a clue since they speak, see and hear no evil.

[headshot5]

Yeah it definitely spread from the Ryderwood area.  It started moving west about 10 years ago.  Both sides of Highway 6 from Chehalis to Raymond has limping elk now days. 

[kckrawler]

Shot a 5 point with hoof rot just east of Raymond in 2009, they're there...

[Thefisherman83]

Its in the  667 Now 

Lies, there's no elk in the 667

[Elkpiss]

Its in the  667 Now 

Lies, there's no elk in the 667

There wont be if WDFG doesnt figure something out....  The bull that was killed up Skuckumchuck that had hoof Rot was one of the worse cases i have seen, and it was the first reported case in Thurston County..  I have recently seen more limpers... Not Good for the 667 not good at all!...

[billythekidrock]

Its in the  667 Now 

Lies, there's no elk in the 667

There wont be if WDFG doesnt figure something out....  The bull that was killed up Skuckumchuck that had hoof Rot was one of the worse cases i have seen, and it was the first reported case in Thurston County..  I have recently seen more limpers... Not Good for the 667 not good at all!...

What a shame.

[hirshey]

2 out of 3 of the elk I've seen come out of Ryderwood have had hoof rot... those were 2-3 seasons ago. 

[billythekidrock]

This thread got me re-thinking a cam video I got a week ago. Not sure if this cow is injured or if she has hoof rot.

Cow - Limper

[mjustice79]

Over grown hoofs. We call it elfs foot. A hoof may be 6 or 8 inches longer than normal. May not have a hoof at all. Its usually pretty obvious. We have ate a lot of elk with hoof rot. Just try not to use any meat from the affected area. Smell it. look at it. you can usually tell if its going to be edible. The affected quarter can be quite lean in comparison to the rest of the animal too. No muscle tone due to lack of use.

Thanks!

[Elkpiss]

2 out of 3 of the elk I've seen come out of Ryderwood have had hoof rot... those were 2-3 seasons ago. 

The Ryderwood is right in the heart of it... If you made a map of Soutwest Washington and the hoof rot...

[Dr. Death]

BTKR- thats hoof rot my friend.....look how skinny she is too, another sure sign..

[redalder]

The elk on the video definitely looks like she has the rot...

[billythekidrock]

BTKR- thats hoof rot my friend.....look how skinny she is too, another sure sign..

The elk on the video definitely looks like she has the rot...

That is what I was afraid of. Got the rot in the skook. 

I wasn't sure because it looked like she had an injury above her right hip, but maybe it is her hip bone. It does look like her right rear hooves are a bit longer.

I will have to go through the rest of the videos.