In the second year of a project called “sadly misconceived” by conservationists, 173 elk were trapped at Muddy Creek feedground near Pinedale. 79 of the elk were adult females.
13 of the 79 tested seropositive for brucellosis and were slaughtered. “Seropositive” means the elk had antibodies — they had been exposed to brucellosis. A smaller percentage, undetermined, actually had brucellosis and were infectious.
The criticism is that the program is very expensive in time, effort, and unnecessary slaughter of elk, with few to no benefits because the petpetuation of the disease is in the winter feeding of Wyoming elk throughout the NW part of the state.
Story in the Casper Star Tribune. Numbers of elk trapped decline from last year. By Whitney Royster. Casper Star-Tribune environmental reporter.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
