The signs of sickness to elk and deer in our state all point to Disease, one the WDFW does not talk about called Necrotic Stomatitis, also called Fusobacterium necrophorum, it produces, hoof rot, calf diphtheria, oral cavity infections and can affect almost any body organ or joint. It is caused from animals being in poor health. Most of Washington elk are in poor health due to poor winter and summer habitat combined with over population. The disease stays with the animals all year, they never get well. The cure is Penacilen/Triamenic, or by increasing dietary protein levels to increase body condition. It was first discovered in Washington State, in Roosevelt elk, in the Olympic Peninsula in 1945. At that time they concluded that losses to this disease resulted both directly and indirectly from overpopulation and poor habitat. I urge you all to google Necrotic Stomatitis and learn for your self the symptoms and relate it to the elk dying in your area. We need to urge the WDFW spend some money to conduct a detailed study on elk an deer, before they are gone.
