State asks help in monitoring spread of elk hoof disease

OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers are seeking help from hunters and the public in monitoring the spread of hoof disease among elk in 10 counties of Southwest Washington.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking that anyone who spots an elk with hoof deformities in the area that is limping or dead report their observations at wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/hoof_disease/.

A map on that website shows the department’s primary focus of interest.

Sandra Jonker, regional wildlife manager, said the department is particularly interested in receiving reports outside the primary area of infection around Cowlitz County, where the disease is already well documented.

“Our focus now is on assessing the spread of the disease to other parts of the region,” Jonker said. “Gaining more information about the incidence and geographical distribution of the disease will help determine how best to manage it.”

The website is designed to accept reports from the field using a mobile phone. Once filed, those reports will immediately appear on WDFW’s website.

Diagnostic testing conducted over the past year indicates hoof disease in elk closely resembles a contagious bacterial infection in sheep. There is no evidence that the bacteria are harmful to humans, but there is no vaccine for elk that contract the disease, Jonker said.

To help prevent the disease from spreading, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved a new rule requiring hunters in 10 Southwest Washington counties to remove the hooves of any elk they harvest and leave them on-site.