The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is preparing to remove up to 20 elk from the Trout Lake Valley in order to prevent the eastward spread of a crippling hoof disease. This news comes right after the department’s announcement at the end of April that state wildlife managers have found the first evidence of diseased elk on the east side of the Cascade Range.
Up until a month ago, the department viewed treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) as a problem solely affecting herds on the western side of the state—the disease has spread to 11 counties in western Washington over the past decade. But lab results from a deformed hoof that was taken off a dead elk near Trout Lake in early April confirm that the infectious disease has officially made its way east of the Cascades.
This startling realization has led the department to take immediate action. It plans to work with USDA Wildlife Services in order to euthanize any elk in the area that show signs of TAHD. The goal is to prevent the disease from spreading any further into eastern Washington.
According to WDFW hoof disease coordinator Kyle Garrison, “This is the first time the department has tried to stop the advance of the disease by removing affected elk. There’s no guarantee of success, but we believe a rapid response might contain this outbreak given the isolation of Trout Lake and the low prevalence of elk showing symptoms of the disease.”
Garrison says that, after discussions with the public earlier this month, the department has received widespread support for the removal plan.
Since there is no vaccine to treat or prevent TAHD, state wildlife managers have struggled to contain the communicable disease. To date, outbreaks have been confirmed in Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skagit, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom (and now Klickitat) Counties.
The disease has worked its way across the Columbia as well. Since 2015, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed the presence of TAHD in elk populations on both sides of the state.
While WDFW continues to work toward containing the crippling hoof disease, there are a few things the department says everyday citizens can do to help their efforts. Anybody hiking or driving off-road in a known affected area can help minimize the risk of spreading the disease by washing their boots and tires afterward. And if anyone observes an elk with hoof deformities, they should report their observations as soon as possible by visiting this link. Also, WDFW requires hunters to remove the hooves of any elk taken in an affected area and leave them onsite. For the 2017-18 hunting season, this refers to the following Game Management Units: 407, 418, 437, 454, 501-564, 633, 636 and 642-699.
