Elk hunters should be aware that some additional Game Management Units have been added to the list of GMU’s where hunters must leave the hooves of elk where harvested.
This is part of a strategy to slow the spread of Treponema-associated hoof disease (TAHD) in elk that results in abnormal hoof growth, cavitating sole ulcers and, in severe cases, eventual sloughing of the hoof capsule.
Hunters in GMU’s 407, 418, 437, 633 and 636 must now leave the hooves of elk harvested in the field where the animal was taken. GMU’s that already required this action include units 501 to 564, and 642 through 699.
According to Eric Holman, the WDFW wildlife biologist for Region 5, these measures are an attempt to slow the spread of Hoof Rot Disease.
