Good article in the Chronicle about elk hoof rot study.

[HntnFsh]

I tried to copy and paste the article but was only able to post a link. Actually seems like a good article with a perspective or insight into what a lot of us have suspected. Sure hope they find the answers our elk so badly need!

http://www.chronline.com/news/exploring-a-potential-root-cause-of-elk-hoof-disease/article_1808c784-0a61-11ea-8677-336734d925d6.html

[High Climber]

Thanks for the link, actually gives me a little hope that we will eventually get some answers from Dr Wild and the WSU team...and reinforces that WDFW is a joke

[huntnfmly]

Thank you for the link that was a good read and sounds like we may finally get some answers

[pianoman9701]

I may have been the first person to "out" Dr. Anne Fairbrother as a professional witness for the pesticide industry in several chemical liability lawsuits. She was appointed to the Hoof Disease Advisory Group. A lot of us, including Jon Gosch and Bruce Barnes, were perplexed at why she had been appointed, since the department was saying at the time that forest chemical spraying wasn't connected. Dr. Boone Mora, an expert in leptospirosis for decades in the CDC, was equally confused at why the WDFW scientists were so focused on treponemes as the only answer, and unrelated to anything else.

Hopefully, timber and chemical company money won't be connected to WSU's research, is it is with so many politicians in hoof disease-affected areas of the state. There's a lot of big corporation money floating around out there and a lot of people happy to accept it.

[BDildine]

Hope something comes out of this, even if not 100% proven, but highly probable would be nice. Maybe change some forestry practices for the better (aka less chemicals going into the ground/streams)

[2MANY]

It's very obvious.
Money talks and elk can't walk!!!!!!!!!!

[Griiz]

While this concerns hoof rot, I bet we would see more grouse with less spraying too.

[pianoman9701]

That's been part of the discussion. I agree, as do many others.

[fireweed]

Wow--what a brave article for a small newspaper.

I was at a focus group on elk hoof disease with a Weyerhaeuser  person there too.  When we were asked, "should anything be taken off the table?" as far as solutions to hoof rot, the Weyco employee dutifully said that changes to their forest activities (ie spraying) should be out of bounds.  Of course, I pushed back,  but the employee was suggesting that it shouldn't even be considered or looked at.  Off the table from the start!  ...Don't look behind this curtain.  There is nothing to see here...

[2MANY]

So obvious.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I was part of one of their studies also.
We were all assigned GPS locations and supposed to go to location and look for elk, counting numbers of infected, etc..
The day before we went they locked up all the gates into area, could not even reach our GPS "starting point"
Was a complete waste of time.
Best thing about new study is it's NOT run by WDFW.

[pianoman9701]

I was part of one of their studies also.
We were all assigned GPS locations and supposed to go to location and look for elk, counting numbers of infected, etc..
The day before we went they locked up all the gates into area, could not even reach our GPS "starting point"
Was a complete waste of time.
Best thing about new study is it's NOT run by WDFW.

I did this, too and thought it was a waste of a day.

[follow maggie]

While this concerns hoof rot, I bet we would see more grouse with less spraying too.

I bet you're right. I think this will show that WDFW basically just whores themselves out to whoever has a big check book- not that it matters in this state.

[fowl smacker]

Good read.  It's about time somebody actually listens to us dumb hunters.

[JimmyHoffa]

While this concerns hoof rot, I bet we would see more grouse with less spraying too.

I saw an article about a study the other day about herbicides and fish.  The herbicides looked at killed algae, which made up the low end of the aquatic food chain.  The conclusion was those herbicides were leading to fewer fish and smaller fish.