Chronic wasting disease in elk

[ericF]

I never got mine tested until 3 years ago when my buddies bull tested positive. This was in unit 24 first rifle season and the bull looked fine by all appearances. Now for peace of mind, I get mine tested.

 

[alexanderg23]

I've got land in the elk zone and CWD zone. I believe they test most or the elk harvest before CWD was discovered and they (AGFC) say where the elk came from, there still isn't CWD. But it's probably no coincidence that CWD is where the elk are. But I still don't favor eradication. its too late at this point.

Arkansas imported elk from Colorado a decade or longer ago. Last year when they did some tests on our deer herd they found that not only did those elk have CWD but it had spread to our deer (whitetail). They had pretty much discovered that it was in a 5-8 county zone so those areas now have a very generous bag limit on deer and I believe your deer have to be tested to track the disease (as well as any elk killed in our very small tag allotment). Also if an elk is found outside of this "CWD zone" you can shoot the elk on sight no permit or restriction required.

These are the first cases of CWD being in Arkansas and a lot of locals are very upset at the game and fish for introducing the elk in the first place. A select few on our state hunting forums want the elk eradicated.

For years Arkansas has had a no bones across state line policy to combat the possible introduction of the disease. You kill an elk in Colorado or white tail in Kansas no bones can come back with you and skulls better be boiled or at the very least brain and spinal cord matter removed

 

[cuerro viejo]

Arkansas imported elk from Colorado a decade or longer ago. Last year when they did some tests on our deer herd they found that not only did those elk have CWD but it had spread to our deer (whitetail). They had pretty much discovered that it was in a 5-8 county zone so those areas now have a very generous bag limit on deer and I believe your deer have to be tested to track the disease (as well as any elk killed in our very small tag allotment). Also if an elk is found outside of this "CWD zone" you can shoot the elk on sight no permit or restriction required.

These are the first cases of CWD being in Arkansas and a lot of locals are very upset at the game and fish for introducing the elk in the first place. A select few on our state hunting forums want the elk eradicated.

For years Arkansas has had a no bones across state line policy to combat the possible introduction of the disease. You kill an elk in Colorado or white tail in Kansas no bones can come back with you and skulls better be boiled or at the very least brain and spinal cord matter removed

A lot more then a decade.. re-introduced 81-85. They have been testing elk harvest since 07 and no hits. So if the CWD originated in that herd, it took it a very very long time to pop up in tests. Technically by some of the infection rates being tossed out it should of wiped the herd out well before the positive cow hit since we are 34years into it.

The first relocation herd(that was poached out) came from witchita mountains and that herd has never had a positive hit, so if any survived it didn't come from there either.

Texas got hits first elk positive hit and that herd was re-located here in the 1920's. Even if it wasn't the from same herd and came across from NM, The closest CWD positive in NM is 300 miles.

The pod cast was a lot of hypotheticals and opinions. If you truly paid attention to it and listen to what was being said...the west is doomed. Elk are in limited and marginal habitat, with higher historic densities then have ever been seen.....

I listened to it but wasn't a very enlightening pod cast.

 

[kda082]

At this point we've gutted and eaten a lot of infected animals without a confirmed case of human infection. There's always a first, but I wouldn't hit the panic button just yet. In KS the whitetail cases keep spreading east. Something to keep an eye on for sure and it's always good to be cautious.