Hoof Rot Confirmed by WDFW in Eastern Washington

[Mudman]

What year did Wa ban timber slash burning and promote spraying?  I know the Pe Ell area was heavily logged during this transition.  Coincidence that hoof rot began in that exact location at the exact same time?  Hmm.  I no genuus but I smart enuff to put round peg in square wholes.             http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/180223  Yup totally safe for people n animal.

[KFhunter]

beef producers don't want hoof rot, any large producer that feed lots their beef (the most likely to have hoof rot) is going to inoculate them for it.  They can't sell downers as there's laws about slaughter facilities and auction houses accepting downer cattle.   

Anyone raising beef non gmo, grass fed, doesn't need to inoculate them because they aren't standing belly deep in feces 24/7. 


Elk aren't getting hoof rot from cattle producers, large or small.

100% agree. I also don't believe its from the lumber companies. As I have stated previously, Hancock's Kapowsin area has a TON of FAT and Healthy elk. We saw anywhere from 50-150 head a day and NONE had any signs of limping or weird looking hooves. So with that information. How do we figure this out?

If there hoof rot on other Hancock land? 
Does Hancock use the spray in the Kapowsin area? 
Is it the same formula, mixed the same, applied the same, as other Hancock areas with hoof rot?

If yes to all the above then I don't know either 

Maybe different vegetation, different rain fall levels, different environmental factors, maybe Kapowsin has different minerals in the ground keeping hoof rot bay.  All good things to study.
I know a lot of WA ground is selenium deficient.  We used to load pregnant cattle up with selenium but USDA cracked down on it, now you can only get trace amounts unless a vet does a blood sample and orders it - now a lot of producers are having problem with calf scours with the trace selenium, go figure. 

Selinium and copper salt licks loaded up with more than what we currently have access too might be the way to prevent hoof rot in juvenile elk.

[hughjorgan]

What year did Wa ban timber slash burning and promote spraying?  I know the Pe Ell area was heavily logged during this transition.  Coincidence that hoof rot began in that exact location at the exact same time?  Hmm.  I no genuus but I smart enuff to put round peg in square wholes.             http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/180223  Yup totally safe for people n animal.

If pesticides are to blame then how come we don’t see it in the deer as well, they use the same habitat as elk...

[Mudman]

Deer aren't the same.  They don't eat exact same things and they have been sick but not hoof rot.  It ironic the same time hoof rot was showing up SW Wa deer started having large outbreaks of mange in same area.  KF you are spot on, all things you said play factors in nutrition and health of animals as well as environment and host bacterium.  If nobody believes these chems are BAD then go dump gallons of Roundup around your well house...

[W_Ellison2011]

beef producers don't want hoof rot, any large producer that feed lots their beef (the most likely to have hoof rot) is going to inoculate them for it.  They can't sell downers as there's laws about slaughter facilities and auction houses accepting downer cattle.   

Anyone raising beef non gmo, grass fed, doesn't need to inoculate them because they aren't standing belly deep in feces 24/7. 


Elk aren't getting hoof rot from cattle producers, large or small.

100% agree. I also don't believe its from the lumber companies. As I have stated previously, Hancock's Kapowsin area has a TON of FAT and Healthy elk. We saw anywhere from 50-150 head a day and NONE had any signs of limping or weird looking hooves. So with that information. How do we figure this out?

If there hoof rot on other Hancock land? 
Does Hancock use the spray in the Kapowsin area? 
Is it the same formula, mixed the same, applied the same, as other Hancock areas with hoof rot?

If yes to all the above then I don't know either 

Maybe different vegetation, different rain fall levels, different environmental factors, maybe Kapowsin has different minerals in the ground keeping hoof rot bay.  All good things to study.
I know a lot of WA ground is selenium deficient.  We used to load pregnant cattle up with selenium but USDA cracked down on it, now you can only get trace amounts unless a vet does a blood sample and orders it - now a lot of producers are having problem with calf scours with the trace selenium, go figure. 

Selinium and copper salt licks loaded up with more than what we currently have access too might be the way to prevent hoof rot in juvenile elk.

I don't know if its the same stuff they use at all of their properties but I do know that last year they did do a spraying during early archery season and you had to find a different way around the spray area because it had posted signs stating to keep out during spraying. I would assume though that a company like hancock would buy a big batch of the same product and use it on all of their properties as to cut cost of having to buy a bunch of different products.

[KFhunter]

naw, they'd contract it.  Different contractors could use different stuff, and depending on the area the mix could change a bit.

[Mudman]

From minimal research I did it seems the soil types and vegetation determine which mix of chems to use most effectively.  Thinking about that reveals to me the hardest hit areas might have something in common-Clay soils. Which also promote more swampy wet and standing water and poor drainage through soils.   

[KFhunter]

From minimal research I did it seems the soil types and vegetation determine which mix of chems to use most effectively.  Thinking about that reveals to me the hardest hit areas might have something in common-Clay soils. Which also promote more swampy wet and standing water and poor drainage through soils.   

Well ya, but Elk in those areas might get a higher percentage of their forage from logged areas (freshly sprayed) than Elk in other areas that might only feed in logging areas as more supplemental (they all like logged areas). 

In the poorer draining wetter areas a new open area freshly logged would be like a dinner bell, thus they eat more spray than other Elk might. 

[hughjorgan]

Deer aren't the same.  They don't eat exact same things and they have been sick but not hoof rot.  It ironic the same time hoof rot was showing up SW Wa deer started having large outbreaks of mange in same area.  KF you are spot on, all things you said play factors in nutrition and health of animals as well as environment and host bacterium.  If nobody believes these chems are BAD then go dump gallons of Roundup around your well house...

No worries they use stronger chemicals than that to keep bare ground at well houses in the big cities. Glyphosates like round up are commonly used. Glyphosate is broken down by bacteria in the soil.

Glyphosate is not likely to get into groundwater because it binds tightly to soil.

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought the scientists believe the disease is be contracted by the soil and not there diet.

[Mudman]

A theory is some or one chem is causing a weakened immune response to natural occurring bacteria such as trep/lepto.  In lab study these chems do this to animals.  Glyph but you didn't mention atrazine or the other dozen used. Triclopyr, 2.4-D (Whatever the heck that means) hexazinope, crosshair, 4L, Transline, Velpar DF to name a few...

[jae]

Any updates on this?