Check out the link below! This is spreading very fast across washington!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibXoI9JM23I

I heard about this...how in the video can it be determined that the animals have hoof rot? What are the symptoms?

If you look close you can see that almost every single elk in the heard is limping and some are only walking on 3 out there 4 legs. I hunted that area for about 20 years and i have noticed that more and more elk are getting this, last year was the first year i have seen it first hand from a elk that we shot. Also there have been some studies on this and the way the elk are walking is a for sure sign that they have hoof rot!!!

Yikes-That sucks. Never seen elk pussy footing around like that .

Any idea on the long term prognosis? Will it heal itself or should we hunt them all down and hope it doesn't spread?

It spread like wildfire..Antibiotics

Small localized interbreeding herds.
If only man didn't cut off their travel lanes with roads, developements, etc.........Meanwhile the elk will be forced to live with their family members, in a smaller than ideal geographical location, and screw their sisters.
And before it gets started.........I'm an only child.........Obviously.

2Many,

I agree with you on what we as man have done to planet earth, but this does not come from interbreeding, this is a nutritional deficiency that is causing it. This is also happening to the moose that live Alaska! There have been studies in the surrounding states and the hoof rot is not a issue at all in comparison to here in Washington. This is a issue all over and not just the Mt. St. Helens heard!

Elk that are in some ranches in eastern WA have had the hoof rot but the ranchers gave them some good feed and supplements and the hoof rot and it seemed to get much better.

Next it will be the deer!!!