# Winter FEEDING ON ELK REFUGE



## e. fairbanks (Dec 6, 2007)

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/12/news/wyoming/30-elk.prt
Altho Wyoming has CWD IN THEIR WILD DEER AND ELK THEY MAINTAIN 22 STATE AND 1 FEDERAL FEEDGROUNDS FOR THEIR ELK. They have been winter feeding for the last 100 years


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## e. fairbanks (Dec 6, 2007)

2 MAIN REASONS; Elk Hunting brings in $$$- If they stop winter feeding the elk will head for the ranchers haystacks. period.
Here in Michigan's TBIZ NO TB was found in cattle during 1995, 1996 and 1997, when 136 wild deer tested positive for bovine TB. Baiting and winter feeding of deer was banned in the TBIZ. NATURALLY THE DEER MOVED TO THE FARMS TO FEED W/THE CATTLE. Can we dare to suggest that perhaps the baiting and feeding bans are somehow responsible for the incidence of TB in our cattle herds ??


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

that is kind of circular reasoning. if we had never allowed baiting and winter feeding of deer from the beginning, then TB wouldnt have spread among them to be transmitted to cattle.

as long as baiting and winter feeding are allowed, we are setting up situations for TB and other diseases to spread among the deer herd.

so it wasnt the cessation of feeding/baiting that transmitted TB to cattle, it was the fact that it was permitted in the first place.


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## e. fairbanks (Dec 6, 2007)

It is an established belief that a well fed, healthy animal is more resistant to disease.
"If the disease (TB -in deer) incidence is related to social contact, then individuals at greatest risk to TB infection are likely to be genetically related to infected individuals, members of family groups" - the old doe, her fawns, her daughters and their fawns
"Bovine TB has never been eradicated when it is shared between a domestic species and a wild one"
Perhaps we should show more compassion for the "poor devils' in the MDNR, who are burdened (of their own choosing) with a seemingly impossible task


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## dogwhistle (Oct 31, 2004)

"well fed healthy animals are more resistant to disease". yes, up to a point. but when you start gathering animals together in large groups( including humans) you are bound to run into a lot of problems with disease.

young friend of mine started gathering large numbers of young cattle from various sources for competetion. they were all getting sick because some were resitant to some disease, some another. they were all healthy and well fed at the start. go into any kansas feedlot and you will see them vaccinating cattle for that very reason.

any species gets disease when it gets overpopulated; raccoons, fox, rabbits come to mind. and if you concerntrate the population it just makes it that much easier for the disease to spread.


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## e. fairbanks (Dec 6, 2007)

We have the ability to ignore the fact that the disease organism has to be introduced to cause infection and disease in susceptible recipients, whether it is a herd of 1000 animals or a lone individual. If we have 20 or 30 deer in an area where natural browse and nuts and berries are available, plenty of natural feed, they will not spend much time at the "feed pile".
When natural habitat is overbrowsed, malnutrition rears its ugly head, then deer will flock to the feed piles. IF a diseased animal, shedding the TB organism is present, possibly many of the other deer may pick up the infection, but most will overcome it. There is what is known as the "infective dose', the amount of the agent that will cause disease.When "feeder" calves go through a sales barn they are "stressed" and they pick up the viruses that cause "shipping fever".
When our DNR HAD DEER IN THE SQ. MI. CUSINO ENCLOSURE THE DEER WERE SUPPLEMENTALLY FED YEAR AROUND BUT THERE WAS NO INFECTIOUS DISEASE WHEN THERE WERE 159 DEER IN THE SQ. MI. 
When a


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