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.

 

[ImBillT]

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.

While I was aware that prevalence was usually lower in elk, I hadn’t put much thought into it. My biggest concern with CWD is that if it ever jumped to humans(mad cow sure did) or any other non-cervid species, that it might be easily transmissible from human to human the way that CWD and scrapie are transmissible from deer to deer and sheep to sheep. The fact that prevalence in elk seems to be consistently lower than in deer would seem to indicate some resistance. If it still remains low in areas where deer have extremely high prevalence, it makes me wonder if the elk are not transmitting it to other elk. If they only catch it from deer, and even then, at a low rate, that may be a good sign that if it ever jumps to a non-cervid species it will be limited to individual cases not “oh crap. Now our entire pronghorn herd has CWD”.

 

[Hunting Wife]

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.

Free ranging elk don’t generally show prevalences as high as those observed in sympatric deer populations, for unknown reasons. Genetics? Biology? Ecology? Behavior? Who knows. However, captive elk and range restricted elk have shown very high prevalences (40% or more) are possible- Wind Cave National Park being the poster example, and population declines have been observed. Hard to say what will happen when it reaches populations that are artificially manipulated, in a feedground situation for example. So far we haven’t seen it go too crazy in free ranging unmanipulated populations. Not sure at this time why it would be different in Montana.

Free ranging moose in CO and WY have also tested positive. I suspect their ecology and more solitary nature are the reason we see very low prevalence in that species thus far, but that’s a guess.

 

[jimss]

The sky is falling down!

Every elk with CWD is going to die and will die within a year of contracting the disease. Bulls have a 1% higher prevalence rate than cows so we need to kill every old age class bull even though older bulls carry resistant alleles and the very best genes in the herd.

CWD prions have been accumulating in the soil for 50 years in Colo but we need to kill all the old age class bulls during the rut in Sept with rifles so they don’t spread it to the entire herd. We need to start major elk culling programs to prevent the spread of CWD to adjoining areas even though prions last centuries in the soil. Heck, why stop at deer, why not kill off all the mature male elk, moose, and antelope because prevalence is 1% higher in mature bucks and bulls.

All of these make so much sense don’t they?

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

 

[jimss]

Learn from Colorado’s 50 years of mistakes!

Say no to culling projects

Say no to Sept rut rifle elk hunts

Oops, did I already say it, say no to culling projects

Say no to killing of old age class bucks and bulls

One more time, say no to culling projects

 

[ImBillT]

Free ranging elk don’t generally show prevalences as high as those observed in sympatric deer populations, for unknown reasons. Genetics? Biology? Ecology? Behavior? Who knows. However, captive elk and range restricted elk have shown very high prevalences (40% or more) are possible- Wind Cave National Park being the poster example, and population declines have been observed. Hard to say what will happen when it reaches populations that are artificially manipulated, in a feedground situation for example. So far we haven’t seen it go too crazy in free ranging unmanipulated populations. Not sure at this time why it would be different in Montana.

Free ranging moose in CO and WY have also tested positive. I suspect their ecology and more solitary nature are the reason we see very low prevalence in that species thus far, but that’s a guess.

Well that stinks. That information somewhat indicates that my earlier expressed hopes are not supported.

 

[3855WIN]

Either scientist created CWD accidentally in a pen at Colorado State or CWD has always been around. At least once it spreads nationwide, we won’t have to worry about transporting big game heads across state lines.

 

[antlerradar]

Either scientist created CWD accidentally in a pen at Colorado State or CWD has always been around. At least once it spreads nationwide, we won’t have to worry about transporting big game heads across state lines.

Third theory. The protein spontaneously folded creating the prion. (part of the presentation on CWD at the mule deer CAC).

 

[rjthehunter]

Good thing our elk and couple mule deer came from the gravelly range...

I wonder how many people have eaten deer or elk that have cwd unknowingly and are just fine as a result.

 

[3855WIN]

Good thing our elk and couple mule deer came from the gravelly range...

I wonder how many people have eaten deer or elk that have cwd unknowingly and are just fine as a result.

Consider all the infected game that’s been run through a commercial processor before a person knows the results of CWD test. Does that contaminate all other meat run through there?
I whitetail hunt within the boundaries of a CWD hot zone. Currently, the nearest it’s been detected is 15 miles away, so I definitely have a stake in this. Maybe even a venison steak.

 

[rjthehunter]

Consider all the infected game that’s been run through a commercial processor before a person knows the results of CWD test. Does that contaminate all other meat run through there?
I whitetail hunt within the boundaries of a CWD hot zone. Currently, the nearest it’s been detected is 15 miles away, so I definitely have a stake in this. Maybe even a venison steak.

It makes me think there's no danger to humans. I'm sure it's been consumed 100s if not 1000s of times.

 

[LuketheDog]

Consider all the infected game that’s been run through a commercial processor before a person knows the results of CWD test. Does that contaminate all other meat run through there?

It would certainly be a surface contaminant. So if you live in a zone with high CWD prevalence and have taken your meat to a commercial processor, you've probably consumed a prion.

 

[jimss]

I haven't heard of any testing or restrictions for wild game meat processors in Colorado. I would think the USDA would have restrictions for processors if it was a dire concern.

Hunters have been eating meat from CWD positive deer in Colorado for 40 to 50 years. Few deer hunters here in Colo have their deer tested unless required in certain units. It's totally up to each hunter whether they want to have their deer tested in units that aren't required to test and whether they eat deer that test positive. I haven't heard of 1 death across the US from CWD, but you obviously don't want to be the first.

 

[brocksw]

Third theory. The protein spontaneously folded creating the prion. (part of the presentation on CWD at the mule deer CAC).

I think there might have been a misunderstanding here. I contacted the person who gave that presentation and asked her about it. She said that was not the message she was trying to convey and said there is no evidence that this has ever happened in any cervid in North America. I would expect her to revisit this topic during the next CAC meeting.