CWD Spreads To Elk.

[Sytes]

FWP officials announced first positive test for elk in southeast Montana and in the Ruby Mountains

Two Montana elk test positive for chronic wasting disease

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials announced on Friday that an elk in southeast Montana tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.

www.ktvq.com

 

[Dave N]

Damn.

 

[trb]

Unfortunately has been detected in Elk in Colorado since 1981. A regular part of our annual brochure, although I have never had any elk tested:

 

[wytex]

Took a cow that tested positive this year in SE Wyoming. Kind of bummed but certainly not surprised.

 

[Sytes]

I am surprised, given their herd-like manner, that elk are not impacted as significant as whitetail deer. Are elk more tolerant/resistant to CWD, thus it does not have the same level of transmission? @Hunting Wife ? I've never thought to test my elk for CWD.

I didn't know the setting in Colorado - head in sand, I guess.

 

[MTLabrador]

For whatever reason, elk never seem to show the prevalence that mule deer do. The Laramie Range is a hell of a CWD case study. Even with crazy rates of CWD in deer, the prevalence in elk has stayed at (ballpark) 5-10% even while the elk herd has dramatically increased in population. I might be wrong, but I’m not super concerned about elk in Montana and CWD. Deer are a different story, that I am concerned about.