WDFW KILLING ELK IN TROUT LAKE

[bbarnes]

My first question is WHY ? My second is where's the public input ? My third is they have told the public these elk with HOOF ROT are safe to eat.My forth is where did the meat go ?According to 3 of the 5 scientists interviewed by WSU this is not treponema.They also said the samples were contaminated and there process was incorrect.The real question I have is why are still hunting the same amount of days with a extremely limited recourse.Members on this site and friends need to start asking some serious questions.

[Mudman]

You should ask member Alan K.  Another thread he seems to promote and advocate timber spraying...

[ghosthunter]

I was at IST for Hunter Ed in Wenatchee this past weekend and this was discussed.

1. They have no idea how to treat it.

2. They have I’d seven elk in a herd at trout lake.

3. They see this as a emergency, and thus will kill these elk in the next 30 days in hopes of preventing further spread in this area.

[bbarnes]

Why didn't they do it in other areas a decade ago ? Or did they learn something from the in WSU interview process that this could get in to domestic livestock ? Doesn't seem strange it's not in any USFS lands just private timber lands that have been treated with God knows what ? Look up what happened in triangle lake oregon and the lies and cover up that happened afterwards.

[bbarnes]

Also they have no idea how to treat it because they have no idea of what it is or what's causeing it.but the common thread at the interviews from the science community was live animal study's something the WDFW doesn't and has been fighting against this whole time !

[timberfaller]

Was at the IST too,  the mind set of the WDFW is a bit scary,  hope they can get their act together.   Getting linked up with UW might help them.

UW was a big help years ago with where I was working at the time,  trying to figure out why after we vaccinated  yearlings they started getting sick and dying.   Nothing we or the vets did helped.  Vet sent nine carcasses to them, told us to quit vaccinating the new arrivals.  Spent the next six week doctoring 1300 head every day.   UW found that we received a contaminated vaccine.   Drug company wound up buying the herd and paying ALL our expenses.

Had it not been for the UW work,  we'd most likely never found the problem.

I was glad that the "Instructors" held their cool having heard what they did!!!  I figured there would be some HOT discussions like in the past IST's.    Or have we become complacence over time?

[Russ McDonald]

Was at the IST too,  the mind set of the WDFW is a bit scary,  hope they can get their act together.   Getting linked up with UW might help them.

UW was a big help years ago with where I was working at the time,  trying to figure out why after we vaccinated  yearlings they started getting sick and dying.   Nothing we or the vets did helped.  Vet sent nine carcasses to them, told us to quit vaccinating the new arrivals.  Spent the next six week doctoring 1300 head every day.   UW found that we received a contaminated vaccine.   Drug company wound up buying the herd and paying ALL our expenses.

Had it not been for the UW work,  we'd most likely never found the problem.

I was glad that the "Instructors" held their cool having heard what they did!!!  I figured there would be some HOT discussions like in the past IST's.    Or have we become complacence over time?

Actually they are hooked up with WSU for studying the desease and from what I remember they said they are only taking out 7 elk to hopefully stop the issue before it becomes bad.

[pianoman9701]

Was at the IST too,  the mind set of the WDFW is a bit scary,  hope they can get their act together.   Getting linked up with UW might help them.

UW was a big help years ago with where I was working at the time,  trying to figure out why after we vaccinated  yearlings they started getting sick and dying.   Nothing we or the vets did helped.  Vet sent nine carcasses to them, told us to quit vaccinating the new arrivals.  Spent the next six week doctoring 1300 head every day.   UW found that we received a contaminated vaccine.   Drug company wound up buying the herd and paying ALL our expenses.

Had it not been for the UW work,  we'd most likely never found the problem.

I was glad that the "Instructors" held their cool having heard what they did!!!  I figured there would be some HOT discussions like in the past IST's.    Or have we become complacence over time?

Actually they are hooked up with WSU for studying the desease and from what I remember they said they are only taking out 7 elk to hopefully stop the issue before it becomes bad.

WSU has taken over control of the study. I read 20 would be killed. And the question remains: are they still calling the meat safe to eat?

[bbarnes]

My question is why are they not talking about this with anyone that's been involved or written and helped pass bill 5474 ?

[Russ McDonald]

Was at the IST too,  the mind set of the WDFW is a bit scary,  hope they can get their act together.   Getting linked up with UW might help them.

UW was a big help years ago with where I was working at the time,  trying to figure out why after we vaccinated  yearlings they started getting sick and dying.   Nothing we or the vets did helped.  Vet sent nine carcasses to them, told us to quit vaccinating the new arrivals.  Spent the next six week doctoring 1300 head every day.   UW found that we received a contaminated vaccine.   Drug company wound up buying the herd and paying ALL our expenses.

Had it not been for the UW work,  we'd most likely never found the problem.

I was glad that the "Instructors" held their cool having heard what they did!!!  I figured there would be some HOT discussions like in the past IST's.    Or have we become complacence over time?

Actually they are hooked up with WSU for studying the desease and from what I remember they said they are only taking out 7 elk to hopefully stop the issue before it becomes bad.

WSU has taken over control of the study. I read 20 would be killed. And the question remains: are they still calling the meat safe to eat?

They never did say.  They said follow what it says in the regulations book cut off the hoofs and leave them in the woods.

[Bob33]

Was at the IST too,  the mind set of the WDFW is a bit scary,  hope they can get their act together.   Getting linked up with UW might help them.

UW was a big help years ago with where I was working at the time,  trying to figure out why after we vaccinated  yearlings they started getting sick and dying.   Nothing we or the vets did helped.  Vet sent nine carcasses to them, told us to quit vaccinating the new arrivals.  Spent the next six week doctoring 1300 head every day.   UW found that we received a contaminated vaccine.   Drug company wound up buying the herd and paying ALL our expenses.

Had it not been for the UW work,  we'd most likely never found the problem.

I was glad that the "Instructors" held their cool having heard what they did!!!  I figured there would be some HOT discussions like in the past IST's.    Or have we become complacence over time?

Actually they are hooked up with WSU for studying the desease and from what I remember they said they are only taking out 7 elk to hopefully stop the issue before it becomes bad.

WSU has taken over control of the study. I read 20 would be killed. And the question remains: are they still calling the meat safe to eat?

I suspect this is a story in flux, but the press release from WDFW does suggest that 7 elk were observed with symptoms but 20 elk will be killed.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/apr2718b/

He said the department plans to remove up to 20 symptomatic elk from the area in May. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which supports the proposed action, has pledged $2,000 to help defray the department's costs.

Garrison and other WDFW wildlife managers will discuss the department's plans at a public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the WDFW regional office at 5525 S. 11th St. in Ridgefield.

The first sign that the infectious disease had spread so far east came April 4, when a resident of Trout Lake sent the department a deformed hoof from an elk killed in a vehicle collision near his home, Garrison said.

On April 17, a WDFW staff team searched the area for other elk that might have been infected. They observed at least seven elk walking with a pronounced limp – a common symptom of the disease – and shot one limping animal to obtain hoof samples for testing.

[headshot5]

I'm for them removing infected animals.   It's interesting the outcry on events like this.  The WDFW, did nothing with the original outbreak in the 90's-00's, and they got bad press/blasted for that. 

Now that they are trying to prevent the spread toward the East side, they are getting lit up for that.

Personally, all efforts to prevent spreading is probably in our best interest.  Regardless of the root cause (favorite forum theories on where it came from/causes), The spreading from Boisfort/Longview area could be viewed annually on where infected elk were, meaning that it most probably had to do with physical contact between herds, overlapping home range etc. 

I know growing up in Raymond area, every year the hoof rot would spread closer and closer.  Until it moved through the area and spread further North/West.

[timberfaller]

"Now that they are trying to prevent the spread toward the East side, they are getting lit up for that."

Not really against what they are tying to do,  just would be nice to see the meat NOT wasted.   

We "hunters" would get a ticket for "wasting game" ,  personally the WDFW  shouldn't waste it either.

One person asked about using "master hunters" to help culling out the elk,  but I didn't hear any response from the presenter on the question.

 

[Mudman]

Killing em just results in less elk, it does not cure or solve the problem.  Drop antibiotics in the feed at feed stations.  After all its Lepto correct?

[ghosthunter]

I think bringing hunters into the mix in this case would just complicate the plan. No way a bunch of hunters are going to get this done as quickly has it needs to be.

And who wants the meat? Of a animal with a unknown health problem. If you don't know the cause than you really cant say what the long term effects of eating it will be.
Sorry not interested.