Is the Meat Safe? - An Open Letter to WDFW Assistant Director Nate Pamplin

[dreamunelk]

I believe Nate's letter rebutted nearly all of the op's allegations in a very straightforward manner.  I particularly like how the TAG explained how lay people would misinterpret and take small quotes out of context.  I have grown tired of folks on here taking two sentences and trying to use that to make some definitive point.  Once again, thank you Mr. Pamplin and Dr. Mansfield for all of your hard work.  While your critics continue to desperately seek attention, I appreciate your dedication to our wildlife resources.

 

It is getting really old listening to the self proclaimed experts claiming it is all for the elk.   

[pianoman9701]

I believe Nate's letter rebutted nearly all of the op's allegations in a very straightforward manner.  I particularly like how the TAG explained how lay people would misinterpret and take small quotes out of context.  I have grown tired of folks on here taking two sentences and trying to use that to make some definitive point.  Once again, thank you Mr. Pamplin and Dr. Mansfield for all of your hard work.  While your critics continue to desperately seek attention, I appreciate your dedication to our wildlife resources.

That is if you believe everything the WDFW tells you without question. I guess that would depend a lot on their credibility, which is poor at best.

[pianoman9701]

I believe Nate's letter rebutted nearly all of the op's allegations in a very straightforward manner.  I particularly like how the TAG explained how lay people would misinterpret and take small quotes out of context.  I have grown tired of folks on here taking two sentences and trying to use that to make some definitive point.  Once again, thank you Mr. Pamplin and Dr. Mansfield for all of your hard work.  While your critics continue to desperately seek attention, I appreciate your dedication to our wildlife resources.

 

It is getting really old listening to the self proclaimed experts claiming it is all for the elk.

If it's getting old, please feel free to not participate in the threads about it. It's easy for an internet tough guy who does nothing but type in an online forum to say "it is getting old", as opposed to actually getting involved and doing something constructive about thousands of sick elk. And, when you say "claiming it is all for the elk", you're implying that their reason for spending all of their free time, some for years, is for another reason. What might that be? What other reason do you think Jon Gosch has spent 5 years and countless hours researching this disease when he could just as well have been fishing, hunting, watching TV, or just typing in a forum being an internet tough guy? Do you think he just hates the WDFW and is feigning concern out of spite?

Dr. Boone Mora, who believes this condition is the result of Leptospirosis, is not a "self-proclaimed expert", he's an actual expert who worked for the CDC and specialized in Leptospirosis, among other communicable diseases. He's seen leptospirosis in the field and knows how to identify it, and has done so successfully. The amount of work that Jon and others like Krystal Davies and Bruce Barnes have done on this is equal to or greater than what some do to get a Bachelor's degree in college. They've devoted countless hours trying to find information to help the elk in SW WA. They've also offered their help to the WDFW and have been turned away. Dr. Mora offered his time and expertise for free to the WDFW to observe, diagnose, and treat the affected elk. Apparently the WDFW has enough experts, like Dr. Fairbrother, a scientist from Exponent Inc., a company which defends chemical companies in liability cases related to injury, illness, or death caused by chemicals. They brought Dr. Fairbrother in to defend the practice of WEYCO and other timber companies of spraying all clear cuts to kill all green growth, green growth which is essential forage for our wildlife.

So, you can sit there and judge from your mighty computer seat, you could participate in other threads that aren't "getting old", or you could get involved and run the risk of the uninformed and ignorant saying you're doing it for some nefarious reason other than your concern for our wildlife. I'm betting you'll elect to do nothing. I'm glad we have people like Jon, Boone, Bruce, and Krystal on whom we can depend to do what's right and not give up.

[Coastal_native]

Pretty admirable of WDFW to take the time to put together a response letter (well put together one at that), but I'm not ready to break out the party poppers and champagne yet.  There is still a whole host issues for us to be critical of and we can't expect the department to be critical of their of own work.

Things aren't exactly peachy for hunters in Washington and the hoof rot saga is far from being resolved.  No one has earned an "I told you so", yet.

[pianoman9701]

I agree completely that the letter was well put together.  Whether or not it absolves the WDFW of all wrongdoing regarding the hoof disease issue, is another question entirely.

[snowpack]

I don't care for the assumption of 'if it seems to be safe in livestock, it is assumed to be safe in wild game' theory they are running with.  When the livestock producers use the chemicals, they move their animals to different pasture and then wait a prescribed amount of time before returning them to the applied pastures.  The wild game animals are getting sprayed on and are grazing before the toxic soup even makes it into the soil.  Detectable amount of pesticide (or any chemical) in an animal that feeds on a low standard of chemical should have low accumulation.  But when they are feeding in high concentrations, it could build up quite significantly.  Just look to the case in Oregon where the pesticide company sprayed the pasture (and homes) and horses have major weight loss and one went blind.  Some of you guys might like your portion of license fees to do something else, but I prefer some of mine to be used to take a look at the pesticides.  One of the big reasons for me to eat wild game is to get away from all the junk they put into livestock (they used to add a lot of arsenic to increase marbling).

[ICEMAN]

Pretty admirable of WDFW to take the time to put together a response letter (well put together one at that), but I'm not ready to break out the party poppers and champagne yet.  There is still a whole host issues for us to be critical of and we can't expect the department to be critical of their of own work.

Wow, I agree, and I stand corrected, I would never have figured that a response would have been generated to this request.

Congrats to the OP, kudos to Wildlife and a kick in the pants to me.

[t6]

While I appreciate the response from Nate Pamplin of WDFW I still have to wonder......

Which Experts to which he credits?  The ones who represent the Timber Companies or the Herbicide Manufacturers?  Are these the same Experts that were invited to partake in their meetings?