Post by: videorc on July 30, 2012, 12:54:38 PM
http://youtu.be/lpjjLslaBhM (http://youtu.be/lpjjLslaBhM)
Post by: WSU on July 30, 2012, 12:59:31 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 30, 2012, 01:18:55 PM
I was out scouting this weekend in unit 530 and observed 3 Rosy bulls with Hoof Rot. The video got cut short on the upload you can just see the last Bull as the video ends. The last 2 years Ive seen allot of Elk with this problem mainly in the lower valleys. Anyone know if the WDFW is investigating?
http://youtu.be/lpjjLslaBhM (http://youtu.be/lpjjLslaBhM)
They are and you should do some reporting with coordinates. Thanks!
Post by: meathacker on July 30, 2012, 02:18:33 PM
I also sent it to King 5 and they did a story on it
http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Elk-hoof-disease-threaten-Mount-St-Helens-herd-159258065.html (http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Elk-hoof-disease-threaten-Mount-St-Helens-herd-159258065.html)
I also sent it to RMEF and they have approved some funding. In the next few weeks the Sate Vet is going to be coming to take a look. It seems that people are starting to pay attention. Hopefully something will be done. I fear what the future holds for the elk in western washington
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 30, 2012, 02:22:56 PM
I'd call the Region 5 office and ask for the bio for that area. Their number is 360 696-6211. I wouldn't go about it with a chip on your shoulder and a lot of assumptions about what you think they're doing or not doing. Just my :twocents:
Post by: meathacker on July 30, 2012, 02:26:06 PM
Post by: meathacker on July 30, 2012, 02:30:02 PM
Dear Mr. Christensen,
First, I want to apologize for the fact that you did not receive a response to your email 3 weeks ago. As seen below, I was asked to respond on the same day that you sent it, but due to miscommunication and assumptions within our agency, my response did not get forwarded to you. Often when I am asked to draft responses to wildlife health inquiries from constituents, the recipient of the initial email (be it the Director’s Office, Commission, or individual Wildlife Manager) is the one who takes the information I’ve provided and sends the response back to the constituent. For some reason, that didn’t happen in this case, and again, I apologize for that.
As an update, we have narrowed down the time and place for the referenced workshop (next month at WSU), and are daily working on workshop planning, sample collection and submission, and study design development. Hopefully the information below and the attached documents answer some of your questions.
Thank you for your patience, and lease feel free to contact me directly if you would like to discuss this further.
Kristin Mansfield DVM
**********************************
Kristin Mansfield DVM, MPVM
State Wildlife Veterinarian
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
2315 N. Discovery Place
Spokane Valley, WA 99216
Post by: elkhuntingcouple on July 30, 2012, 06:14:24 PM
The meat is still good from what I understand from farmers, and vet's they said the meat is still good to eat and you wont know the differance.
Wish I hadn't watched that. Just not right for such beautiful animals to be so sick because of something we brought to them. Im sure it started at a farm, dairy or such, since their animals are vacinated and can't get it, they can still carry it just like a cold.
Post by: hirshey on July 30, 2012, 06:28:51 PM
Post by: hirshey on July 30, 2012, 06:36:35 PM
Post by: Bob33 on July 30, 2012, 06:56:17 PM
There is little doubt in my mind that WDFW is aware of the hoof rot situation, and is not ignoring it. If they had unlimited resources perhaps a solution would be found more quickly. They don't. Let's all hope that something can be done soon.
Post by: elkhuntingcouple on July 30, 2012, 07:20:21 PM
Sad but I think this is true, so good luck everyone for this year, hopefully we all get one that is hurt. Better in my freezer than rotting out in the wilderness
Post by: Bob33 on July 30, 2012, 07:26:03 PM
Post by: elkhuntingcouple on July 30, 2012, 09:18:01 PM
Dont Figure, I'm sure they will hire someone to do a study on the study, Just like our deer, you can drive for days and not see any deer in the woods, the skin desease killed the majority of them. But the people at WFWD still get paid the same. Hundreds of Elk starved to death by Mt St Helens but yep the people got the same wage for not protecting what they are being paid to protect and preserve.
Sorry this is a sour subject to me. Just no reason not to try, fiddle your thumbs, There is always somethign to try and help out with.
Post by: videorc on July 30, 2012, 09:58:04 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on July 31, 2012, 08:43:55 AM
Sometimes, a medical condition that seems simple to address isn't. Billions have been spent on finding a cure for cancer. Is there no cure yet because people don't care?
There is little doubt in my mind that WDFW is aware of the hoof rot situation, and is not ignoring it. If they had unlimited resources perhaps a solution would be found more quickly. They don't. Let's all hope that something can be done soon.
:yeah:
This is a very emotional topic and I also am deeply concerned about hoof rot. But, I'm hearing a lot of assumptions that the DFW isn't doing anything about this. Those assumptions are wrong. I know they are. They may not be jumping to quick fixes (and quick fixes usually do more harm than good), but you'd better believe that the health of our elk populations is of the utmost importance. Without elk and the revenue that they generate, these folks know they're out of a job. Thanks for the link, Bob.
I'm sure there are volunteer projects available if you contact Kristin Mansfield or even Dave Ware. I guarantee you'll get less cooperation if you go on the offensive towards the Dept and go in assuming that you care more than they about hoof rot. However, if you're willing to put in a few hours of your free time, I'm quite sure it'll be used wisely if they have something for you to do. What is your priority, to do with this? Is it to rail against the department or to work toward curing this terrible disease? This is an important question to ask yourself.
Post by: jbeaumont21 on July 31, 2012, 09:28:57 AM
So after reading this it says that our elk are GROSSLY DEPLEATED of Copper and SELENIUM why do n't they at least put out thousands of mineral blocks with high doeses of this in it.
Sure would like to know if this would help. I would be willing to haul out several mineral blocks to my hunting grounds as I'm sure everyone else would be as well. Where can we purchase these mineral blocks from and would it be hurting anything if we all just took the initiative and started distributing them in the woods on our own? I just feel like we should do something.
Post by: WSU on July 31, 2012, 09:59:39 AM
Post by: nontypical176 on July 31, 2012, 10:18:55 AM
My friend works for the WDFW says that hoof rot was ignored for years and now that its finally became a major problem the WDFW has started to move on it. She is upset with them and says they always claim funding was the reason why more hasn't been done, and also said most of the efforts had been half a** at best. Still no studies have been done to try and cure or experiment on a living elk....pathetic. Though they are consulting with veterinarians around the world now. To me the common sense thing to do is....capture an infected elk, keep it in some kind of pen, poke it with needles, change diet, give it a shot of penicilen, you know put together an honest scientific effort into finding an answer. The trueth is that nobody has any idea what is happening to our elk, only guesses and speculation. Treat just one elk like it was human and we might find the answer for all, but of course funding is always an issue.
On another note, all the elk that come around my place have hoof rot, but once again the cows are raising calves. No matter how bad they limp or sickly they act, they continue to reproduce year after year and the herd hasn't shown any signs of getting smaller, just in a lot more pain. Elk are tough there is no doubt about that.
Post by: videorc on July 31, 2012, 02:31:30 PM
Post by: tonymoe on July 31, 2012, 05:02:44 PM
I felt sick to my stomach! That herd has gone through a lot over the years. Which brings something else to mind.......I remember the WDFW transplanting elk from the st. Helen's herd into different areas in the past. Has anyone seen problems elsewhere? I can't remember all the places, but I think one of those areas was the green river are?
Post by: HntnFsh on August 01, 2012, 05:44:09 AM
If copper and/or selenium are the cause, it doesn't seem that it would be practical to be supplementing the elk in SW Wa indefinitely. And, if it is a deficiency, what would have caused it to become such a large problem so quickly?
I dont think this is the root of the problem. Cant imagine that one day many years ago those minerals just disapeared.
Post by: windygorge on August 01, 2012, 06:22:27 AM
Post by: RadSav on August 01, 2012, 06:27:31 AM
Post by: Killmore on August 01, 2012, 07:57:32 AM
Post by: nontypical176 on August 01, 2012, 10:11:24 AM
Plants like Tanzy have been known to cause problems for some species and now we have scothbroom forests, japanese knotweed and an entire list of other invasives thats not just limited to plants but bugs and small critters that may be clinging to a consumed piece of grass as well. My friends goats escaped their pen and got into the neighbors ornamental garden once, 3 days later they were all dead from something they had eaten. If I remember right the deer mainge problem we had for a while they figured was caused by a snail or something that was inadvertantly being consumed. Hope we find an answer soon.
Post by: meathacker on August 01, 2012, 11:17:56 AM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on August 01, 2012, 11:22:50 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on August 01, 2012, 11:30:11 AM
It doesn't have anything to do with the plants. I'm sure it started at a farm. Its a bacteria infection that can live with out a host for over a week. so if a cow(beef) had it and was in a field then elk came into the field a week later and were feeding in the same area they could become infected. with elk being pack animals and always traveling single file it makes it very easy for a whole herd to become infected. then rut comes along and brings bulls from out of the herd in. it just continues to spread. Hoof Rot spreads very easy with livestock. once an animal is infected it is removed from the herd and treated to prevent it from spreading to the whole herd. Another part of the problem is there are over 40 types of hoof rot. The state has not yet narrowed down with strain it is. that is one of the biggest things that needs to be figured out. I talked to the state vet a couple weeks ago and they are working on figuring that out. once they have that answered it will make the path much more clear on what can be done for treatment... if any
They don't think so, according to the study found here and cited earlier in the thread:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01124/wdfw01124.pdf (http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01124/wdfw01124.pdf)
This study may point to a deficiency in copper, but more data. In the top right sections they pretty much ruled out bacterial or viral infections.
At this point, they still don't know. Who knows? It may have something to do with the layer of ash covering needed minerals in the soil, considering that much of the area involved was in the blast zone and flood plain.
As far as the antlerless tags being issued, maybe they're trying to cull out the affected animals and think ethical hunters will target the ones having a hard time moving around. Just a thought. Maybe call Dave Ware or the researchers Susan Han or Kristin Mansfield at WSU.
Post by: meathacker on August 01, 2012, 12:34:31 PM
Im not an expert but i would also think that the ash would be full of minerals. but i do understand your point and that could be part of the mineral issue. In my experiance with mineral licks. the Elk dont seam to use them much. the deer do. that may just be the area though.
I think culling the herd maybe a good option. Im not against it. would it suck? yes but if its better for the long range im for it.
Post by: flatbkman on August 01, 2012, 12:57:31 PM
Post by: nontypical176 on August 01, 2012, 01:05:29 PM
I also am not completely against culling the infected elk, but only if we know that it will help. At this point we can wipe out entire herds only to find out later that the problem hasn't gone away, because someone guessed wrong. My fear is that they are figuring it out too late. This thing is spreading fast. 5 years ago at my place I never seen a single infected elk, and now I have a hard time finding one that isn't infected.
Post by: fair-chase on August 01, 2012, 01:08:41 PM
Post by: meathacker on August 01, 2012, 01:18:02 PM
I know that I am a pessimist in a lot of ways, but I figured that the WDFG was just stocking up on Wolf food for the future.
At the rate they are spreading they will be there with in the next few years. Its to bad the wolfs dont have a problem with paw rot
Post by: judojudd on August 06, 2012, 02:21:24 PM
"We have been following this since 2007 and found there are more than 40 types of hoof root. The WDFW vet has been working with the state Agriculture vet to come up with solutions as well. RMEF has provided a grant to WDFW to help get a science panel together with 3 hoof rot experts to work with the agency staff to see what can be done about classifying the particular bacteria or virus and what if any solutions can be tried. With wild elk, general animal husbandry practices (dipping, vaccination, etc.) just cannot be done as it is in livestock where you can get your hands on the critters almost any time you need to. Hopefully this panel will provide some insight on the disease. I have seen the same video and is is frustrating! Thanks for your concern regarding this valuable elk resource.
Best regards!"
Just another reason to join the RMEF! It boggles my mind when I think of how many elk hunters are still not members of the RMEF! These situations are exactly why the RMEF exists. Hopefully, through their efforts, we will find a solution to this problem!
Post by: meathacker on August 06, 2012, 02:47:40 PM
I emailed the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation today regarding the hoof rot issue. I was encouraged by the response. Say what you will about the WDFW, the RMEF has a great track record of turning around situations like this.
"We have been following this since 2007 and found there are more than 40 types of hoof root. The WDFW vet has been working with the state Agriculture vet to come up with solutions as well. RMEF has provided a grant to WDFW to help get a science panel together with 3 hoof rot experts to work with the agency staff to see what can be done about classifying the particular bacteria or virus and what if any solutions can be tried. With wild elk, general animal husbandry practices (dipping, vaccination, etc.) just cannot be done as it is in livestock where you can get your hands on the critters almost any time you need to. Hopefully this panel will provide some insight on the disease. I have seen the same video and is is frustrating! Thanks for your concern regarding this valuable elk resource.
Best regards!"
Just another reason to join the RMEF! It boggles my mind when I think of how many elk hunters are still not members of the RMEF! These situations are exactly why the RMEF exists. Hopefully, through their efforts, we will find a solution to this problem!
This is the same response I got from them. I originally sent them the video at the same time i sent it to King5. I talked to Tom on the Phone also. Nice Guy hopefully things are getting done to figure this out. I have sent the video to everyone i can think of. Feel like im just spinning wheels but at least its getting the word out and making more people aware of the problem we have here. the more people asking questions the better.
Post by: videorc on August 17, 2012, 12:29:40 PM
I recently received some response to my emails to the RMEF and had a conversation with Dr. Jerry Nelson in charge of elk & deer research & management for WDF&W regarding the Hoof Rot problem.
At this time they don't know which bacteria is causing the problem. There are several. When they do figure out what is causing the problem the will have a monumental task of applying a solution to wild animals as opposed to domestic animals that can be run through a dip tank.
Quote from my email from Wayne Marion RMEF.
"Earlier this summer, Dr. Jerry Nelson -- in charge of elk & deer
research & management for WDF&W -- requested and received a grant for
$10K from RMEF to pull together the world's experts on this disease and
to have a symposium on this subject"
Jerry told me the meeting will be in the next two weeks or so with WSU WDFW, They are also asking for help from experts in New Zealand and Australia.
Jerry also said the IT dept of WDFW is working right now on producing an on line reporting tool to gather data from the hunting community sightings. They may also be collecting samples from hunters this fall but probably not until the modern season.
All the parties I spoke with did appreciate our concerns and reports.
These are the people I contacted.
Wayne R. Marion | Senior Regional Director
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Jerry Nelson / Deer and Elk Section Manager
WDFW
Link to PDF of State Biologists
District wildlife Biologists WDFW
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/wildlife_district_bios.pdf (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/wildlife_district_bios.pdf)
Post by: pianoman9701 on September 05, 2012, 09:54:28 AM
WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/)
September 5, 2012
Contact: Sandra Jonker, (360) 696-6211
WDFW seeks to share information on elk hoof disease
OLYMPIA-The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is holding a September public meeting and has launched a website to share information about reports of hoof disease among southwest Washington elk.
Lame elk or elk with overgrown or missing hooves in southwest Washington have been observed with increasing frequency in the region. At times, multiple animals in a group have been reported limping and showing signs of hoof disease, such as deformed hooves or club hooves. The condition has been observed in both male and female elk of various ages.
The public information meeting will run from 6-8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 17, in the Cowlitz PUD auditorium, 961 12th Ave., in Longview. It will include a brief presentation about the elk hoof disease, followed by a question-and-answer session.
WDFW is also providing an online reporting tool for citizens to report affected animals ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/) ). The site offers information on the disease, as well as the reporting tool for those who observe elk with signs of hoof disease.
"The condition we are seeing in elk doesn’t appear to be an exact match with any of the known hoof diseases in domestic or wild animals, but it shares similarities with several diseases known in wildlife or livestock," said Sandra Jonker, WDFW’s wildlife manager for the region. However, according to local veterinarians, the condition does not seem to be affecting domestic livestock in the area, she said.
WDFW is working with specialists in other natural-resource agencies and universities to gain a better understanding of what is causing the hoof disease.
Understanding the cause of elk hoof disease in southwestern Washington is an important step in understanding and managing its impacts, and citizen reports of elk with hoof disease will assist wildlife biologists in estimating the frequency and range of the condition, Jonker said.
"In recent years, outdoor recreation enthusiasts and landowners who shared reports of hair loss in western Washington Columbian black-tailed deer, helped wildlife biologists track the range and scope of that condition," said Jonker. "We’re hoping that citizen observations can further our understanding of this disease as well."
Post by: pianoman9701 on September 05, 2012, 09:55:12 AM
Post by: grundy53 on September 05, 2012, 09:58:54 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on September 05, 2012, 10:06:20 AM
About time they started doing something...
This is a positive action on the part of WDFW. Acknowledgement is fitting where it's due.
Post by: meathacker on September 05, 2012, 12:06:08 PM
Post by: bobcat on September 05, 2012, 12:19:27 PM
It sounds like it will be a very worthwhile meeting to attend.
Post by: grundy53 on September 05, 2012, 02:05:44 PM
About time they started doing something...
This is a positive action on the part of WDFW. Acknowledgement is fitting where it's due.
Yes it's a good thing. But they should have started doing this a couple years ago.
Post by: MatthewHunter98 on September 05, 2012, 04:17:24 PM
Post by: jumpin on December 19, 2012, 12:40:04 PM
Post by: MountainWalk on December 19, 2012, 01:10:07 PM
Post by: headshot5 on December 19, 2012, 01:22:54 PM
Quote
Does it make it hard for them to forage or to walk?
Both. I have seen quite a few in S.W. Washington. I have seen a few that have the leg rotted off down to the knuckle above the hoof, with a chunk of bone sticking out. A few have it in more than one leg forcing them to put weight on at least one damaged foot to walk. It is really unfortunate. You can usually pick out the severe cases this time of year because you will see there ribs sticking out. They also are not able to jump fences etc when they are short a leg or two. I've seen them pile up jumping a ditch, and I saw a decent bull get caught in a fence, both had bad legs. It also prevents them from getting away from predators.
Post by: MountainWalk on December 19, 2012, 01:25:29 PM
Post by: headshot5 on December 19, 2012, 01:38:26 PM
Quote
What is the main causes? Someone mentioned cattle. It doesn't go away?
Cattle and sheep both get similar forms of hoof rot. Generally a certain bacteria in cuts etc in hooves. The WDFW have been unable to trace it to cattle, and I find is strange that unvaccinated cattle have not picked it up in fields with limping elk. Personally I don't think it is from cattle.
That said the perfect breeding ground for it is in farmers fields where the elk gather in the winter time. Lots of mud and large groups of elk cross fences etc in certain spots leaving the bacteria from infected animals in the mud where the next elk steps in it to get through.
The copper/selenium deficiency just makes an elks hoof thinner and heal slower so it ups there chances of picking up the bacteria. So the lack of copper selenium is not the root cause, but it makes the problem a little bigger.
After there foot rots off it won't grow back so i really don't think it goes away. Regardless they are impaired for life once the hoof is gone, and thus susceptible to predators and other diseases.
Post by: MountainWalk on December 19, 2012, 01:42:25 PM
Post by: headshot5 on December 19, 2012, 01:49:54 PM
Post by: MountainWalk on December 19, 2012, 01:56:32 PM
Post by: headshot5 on December 19, 2012, 02:02:41 PM
Post by: HntnFsh on December 19, 2012, 06:54:29 PM
Post by: skywalker253 on December 19, 2012, 07:03:20 PM
Post by: nontypical176 on December 20, 2012, 09:54:40 AM
The typical...only one hoof infected, the right rear which from what I've seen its usually a rear hoof. It had weird blood masses throughout that hind quarter, not too bad, but worse up next to the hip bone area. It was only fitting that on the day I shot him, helicopters were out fertilizing the weyerhauser tree farm just up from where he was taken. Not that I fully believe fertilizer is the problem. If things don't change soon its going to be hard to find an elk on the west side without hoof rot. On another note, I saw a collered cow with a calf this year and they were both limping badly near the same area I got my bull. I am disgusted and sad about the whole situation. There is not enough being done.
Post by: sirmissalot on December 20, 2012, 10:24:27 AM
I know that the bulls up higher away from the valleys were able to avoid the problem at least from all I've seen in the Coweeman unit.
The bull I killed this year around 5,000ft had it, so unfortunately thats not the case. Of the 3 elk killed this year in my family they all had it.
Post by: bowjunkie on December 20, 2012, 02:13:35 PM
Post by: headshot5 on December 20, 2012, 02:30:22 PM
Quote
Does hoof rot affect consumption of and elk
Depends on how strong your stomach is.
But seriously it depends on how far along they are. The bull I killed this year had one bad back foot. The hoof was gone, but the infection had not spread up the leg and he had not contracted anything esle. He was in pretty good shape overall. You could faintly smell the infection in the foot, but the meat was fine.
However, a friend got one that was pretty well rotten and the entire hind quarter had the sweet sick smell to it. Probably started with hoof rot and got a multitude of other bacterial/viral problems because of weakend immune system. His body was pretty well shutting down. Eyes were sunken in (looked like a meth head). Generally, like mentioned above (earlier post) you can tell by their body. If ribs are sticking out and they look strung out (eyes sunken) then I would probably pass on eating them. Sick animals generally look sick.
I grew up on a dairy farm so I can pick out a cow that is off its feed pretty easy by posture, body size and there eyes. Of course many times hunters don't have the time to judge in the field.
Post by: bowjunkie on December 20, 2012, 02:33:31 PM
Post by: lewy on December 22, 2012, 10:21:33 PM
Post by: ICEMAN on December 22, 2012, 11:02:05 PM
Post by: fillthefreezer on December 24, 2012, 09:37:07 AM
Post by: Basket Rack on December 24, 2012, 01:42:02 PM
Post by: MadHatter on December 24, 2012, 07:36:20 PM
Probably sent while sitting on the ferry... While using Tapatalk 2
Post by: jumpin on December 25, 2012, 01:02:10 PM
Post by: kglacken on December 25, 2012, 01:31:42 PM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on December 25, 2012, 01:36:10 PM
Post by: jbeaumont21 on December 26, 2012, 11:09:28 AM
Post by: duckmen1 on December 26, 2012, 11:20:09 AM
Post by: Bluesdude on December 26, 2012, 01:04:30 PM
I know that the bulls up higher away from the valleys were able to avoid the problem at least from all I've seen in the Coweeman unit.
The bull I killed this year around 5,000ft had it, so unfortunately thats not the case. Of the 3 elk killed this year in my family they all had it.
I agree, we did not see any hoof rot in the MSH back country all summer. Your Panhandle Lake Bull was the only one I heard of. Of course those elk all drop down to Green River or Coldwater Lake in the Winter, but that is no where near any agricultural areas. Weird....
Post by: nontypical176 on February 23, 2013, 08:04:54 AM
Big herd rolled through my yard the other day. Looked like 90% limpers, may have all been limping, hard to tell sometimes. Wish this was front page news. Wish the RMEF would put a monthly column in the Bugle magazine about it. Guess I just wish more was being done.
Post by: bbarnes on February 23, 2013, 09:03:22 AM
Over the past 23 years, (since 1990), we have witnessed Hoof Rot increase from one Game Management Unit (GMU) in Pacific county to over 21 GMU’s over 10 counties, affecting thousands of elk in SW Washington.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, (WDFW) report http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_rot/) states simply, that they do not know what is causing it, nor, do they have any plan to contain, or treat, this now pandemic outbreak, WDFW estimates, over 55% of all elk in the 10 counties, covering over 3.4 million acres, are affected. WDFW further states, that due to lack of funding, they are unable to determine the cause of, or come up with any plan for treatment for, the disease. All this, despite, the involvement of Washington State University, Colorado State and the WDFW Staff. The report also states that they are currently allocating limited funds towards this problem, and do not intend to allocate additional resources, despite the devastation to the Washington elk herds.
As citizens, sportsman and humanitarians, we urge you to investigate the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s current position, allocation of resources and funding over the past 23 years, by the Big Game Division (and other divisions) concerning the hoof rot. Who, or what, is responsible for allowing this outbreak to grow from a small isolated outbreak to a pandemic, affecting over half of the Washington elk population.
We feel that at this time, the WDFW is not effectively being proactive in combating, or evaluating this out break. We further feel, that their lack of action, will certainly lead to the continued spread of the disease through out the West side of the Cascades, and, potentially, south into Oregon.
If you witnessed the pain and suffering of these animals you would have no doubt that we are being cruel and inhumane by doing nothing. tdn.com/video-hoof-rot-elk-herd/youtube_5a573d30-0377-11. If this outbreak was on a domestic farm the owners would be arrested for animal cruelty.
In addition, sportsmen are being allowed to harvest these diseased animals, told to allow their nose to be their guide. What investigation has been done related to the consumption of diseased animals to assure, that they are even safe to eat?
Therefore, I would like to ask the Senators and Representatives of Districts representing Cowlitz, Clark, Lewis, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Thurston and Yakima Counties to lead this investigational effort. And, to encourage the WDFW to make Hoof Rot their number one priority, and to immediately allocate all required resources, to define the cause, and develop a treatment or containment plan for this devastating disease.
Hoof Rot, was not witnessed or recorded in the State prior to 1990’s, so what has changed or developed over the past 23 years? We feel an immediate response is necessary to correct this crisis and preserve our elk herds for future generations.
Post by: bbarnes on February 23, 2013, 09:24:18 AM
Post by: skywalker253 on February 23, 2013, 06:07:25 PM
Post by: bbarnes on February 23, 2013, 08:11:59 PM
Post by: Mudman on February 23, 2013, 08:31:44 PM
Perhaps our state government should get off their butt and supply the WSDFW will the proper amount of funding to help fund the mass amount of programs they have. They will, but not until our elk herds are devasted and hoof rott becomes the top story of our local news.They are so dumb they refuse money and help when offered! Here is an explanation to me from RMEF. http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,118488.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,118488.0.html)
Post by: skywalker253 on February 23, 2013, 08:56:26 PM
I'm glad you bring up funding because, i see fleets of brand new vehicles in Olympia and region 5 in Vancouver.Also there trying to buy more lands, when they clearly cant manage what they have.We are on the brink of loosing our elk herds in SW Washington and no sportsman want to get involved.The funny thing about this is they have known about this for 18 years and done nothing about it.They have done the same tree plantings and habitat projects to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, in the toutle river valley each year only to have a net loos in habitat from it washing down the river.The list goes on and on and on of wasted moneys start doing some research and get informed of all the failed project and rehiring of retired employees that are collecting retirement and taking a counter job away from some one who really needs a job.Don't tell me about not having enough money,my theory is hire professionals outside on a bid process when theres no incentive when theres no accountability.
Your examples are all valid. I don't keep track of who is driving new vehicles, retired folks, etc. Just saying; the game departments response to something not getting done is "lack of funding".
I don't think it is fair to say that "no sportsman want to get involved." I beleive MudMan is a good example of a sportman getting involved. He has been in contact with the game department and posted an emailed response in another "Hoof Rott" topic a week or two ago. There are plenty of sportsman on HuntWa, who have expressed their concerns and frustrations with the game departments management of Hoof Rott. I have also contacted the game department expressing my concerns.
What is it that you expect sportsman to do?
All they can do is express frustration, report hoof rott sittings, and report harvested elk with hoof rott. It is not like sportsman can start tranquilizing elk and administering a vacine.
Maybe you should do some research- Go into the other "Hoof Rott" topics and read the emailed response that MudMan posted. Correct me if I am wrong, but I beleive the game department is hiring "Hoof Rott" experts outside of the game department to study the disease. They have also been in contact with other agencies, who have experience dealing with the disease in their own states. I could be wrong, but that was ruffly what I remember....
MudMan can you offer some info?
Post by: Mudman on February 23, 2013, 11:15:04 PM
Post by: skywalker253 on February 24, 2013, 12:31:57 AM
No, not anything not on here already. I know WDFW is finally funding research/study of animals and have asked for help outside of WDFW. WSU and a few others I believe. They have not accepted help from RMEF as far as I know but have listened to RMEF lobby. Still no planned study on live animals but it sounds like their new approach will FINALLY yield some results. I am happy something is being done. Better late than never right? I hope for best but wonder if it will change anything this late in the game. Personally I think it is a natural and realistically untreatable disease. One thing of interest is a question of mine, why dont the deer suffer from this? I hope to hear from RMEF soon. Support the RMEF.
The deer I shot this year in the Blues, potentially had hoof rott. One of its hoof nails (toes) was appx. 9" in length and curved all funny. Could have just been a deformality? I wish I would have taken a photo of it, so I could post it. Nothing rotted, but based off the pictures I saw on the WDFW website; it could easily be the early stages of hoof rott.