Tyler McKinley and different members of his looking celebration had been at first excited when Tyler’s father shot a cow elk final week, however then shocked after they noticed its bizarrely deformed hooves.
“We walked as much as her, and we had been, like, what the heck is that this?” McKinley informed Cowboy State Daily.
He lives close to Pueblo, Colorado, and was on an elk hunt about 60 miles southwest of his residence in an space the place he and his household have hunted earlier than.
But none of them had by no means seen something just like the elk’s hooves — which had been so overgrown and twisted, they questioned how the creature had managed to stroll.
“As we had been processing the carcass, we had been joking, ‘I ponder what these tracks would have seemed like, if you happen to stumbled throughout them within the snow?’” he stated.
Elk Looked Fine From A Distance
McKinley stated they first noticed the cow elk transferring by some timber up a ridge, about 500-600 yards away.
Nothing concerning the elk appeared irregular, and it seemed to be transferring simply high-quality.
“She was on the prime (of the ridge) in, like, two minutes,” he stated.
Once the elk reached the highest, “she was simply feeding round” and appearing like another elk, he added.
McKinley’s father had a cow elk tag, so he stalked in nearer by himself and shot the elk.
McKinley watched from a distance.
“Right earlier than he shot her, I assumed, ‘Man, she has some large toes,’” he stated.
They had been a bowled over after they noticed simply how unusual the elk’s hooves had been, however the remainder of the animal seemed regular.
“She wasn’t super-skinny or something like that. She was simply your common cow elk,” McKinley stated.
What Caused This?
They received the carcass residence and, as they often do, hung the meat as much as treatment.
“We often let the meat hold for every week earlier than we butcher it,” McKinley stated.
But at first, he had some doubts about whether or not they need to eat it.
What if the elk was contaminated with some unusual illness that had additionally unfold to the meat?
He known as an area sport warden with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and confirmed the warden images of the elk’s hooves.
The warden didn’t appear alarmed or suppose that the animal’s meat was tainted.
McKinley stated he was informed that the hoof deformations might have resulted from some type of dietary deficiency.
He additionally posted images on-line in a social media discussion board for hunters, asking why the hooves look the way in which they do, and if the meat was nonetheless good.
Nobody prompt that the meat was dangerous. But a number of hunters stated it seemed like the consequences of a hoof illness that has been spreading elsewhere, notably in Washington state.
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A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado final week and found these weird deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not sure what brought about the bizarre development, nevertheless it appears to reflect the consequences of an elk hoof illness that’s been spreading in Washington State. (Courtesy Tyler McKinley) -
A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado final week and found these weird deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not sure what brought about the bizarre development, nevertheless it appears to reflect the consequences of an elk hoof illness that’s been spreading in Washington State. (Courtesy Tyler McKinley) -
A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado final week and found these weird deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not sure what brought about the bizarre development, nevertheless it appears to reflect the consequences of an elk hoof illness that’s been spreading in Washington State. (Courtesy Tyler McKinley)
Disease Spreads In Washington
Reports of elk with deformed, damaged or lacking hooves have elevated in southwest Washington state, in accordance with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It’s been attributed to treponema-associated hoof illness (TAHD).
“The illness seems to be extremely infectious amongst elk, however there isn’t a proof that it impacts people,” in accordance with Fish and Wildlife.
There’s no proof that it results another a part of elk’s our bodies, so the meat from elk contaminated with TAHD is fit for human consumption, Fish and Wildlife states.
There’s no therapy for contaminated elk, in accordance with the company.
“Similar ailments in livestock are handled by forcing them to stroll by foot baths and cleansing and bandaging their hooves, however that’s not a sensible choice for free-ranging elk,” in accordance with Fish and Wildlife.
No Colorado Outbreak Feared
While CPW screens for wildlife illness outbreaks, there’s no instant concern about an elk hoof illness outbreak in Colorado, CPW Southeast Region spokesman Bill Vogrin informed Cowboy State Daily.
“We’re at all times anticipating issues, however there aren’t any ongoing considerations,” he stated.
McKinley stated his household will butcher the elk meat as deliberate and benefit from the bounty of their hunt.
“Even it was that hoof illness, the meat is OK,” he stated.
Mark Heinz may be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
