Wyoming has hit another unfortunate milestone: A second elk feedground with chronic wasting disease (CWD). The detection comes on the heels of the first ever case in one of the state’s feedgrounds and has the potential to threaten the future of western Wyoming’s elk herds.
Two dead elk tested positive for CWD on the Dell Creek Feedground near Bondurant between late January and early February, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). In December, the first CWD feedground case was at Scab Creek, near Boulder.
“We knew it was a matter of time,” said John Lund, WGFD Pinedale regional supervisor. “It's not a surprise, but it does hit home when it actually shows up.”
Historically, CWD hasn’t affected wildlife west of the Continental Divide. The always fatal neurological wildlife disease – akin to mad cow disease – first appeared in Wyoming in the mid ’80s in the state’s southeast corner.
Wildlife managers have braced for years as it slowly spread west, creeping toward the state’s 22 feedgrounds. That’s because CWD thrives when elk congregate. The disease is transmitted via saliva, urine, feces or even infected carcasses, according to WGFD. Evidence suggests animals eating contaminated feed or pasture may lead to infection.
“It's not nearly as bad as other parts of the state, but I think that's just a matter of time,” Lund said.
CWD first appeared in western Wyoming’s elk in 2020 in a Jackson herd. It’s spread to several other regional herds, but was never officially detected within the boundaries of a feedground.
Forecasting how the disease will impact feedground-reliant elk is tricky, largely because there are few comparable scenarios. No other state has a large-scale annual winter supplemental feeding program like Wyoming. In 2022, the state spent about $3 million on the program.
But a 2023 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study projected that CWD could kill off about half of Wyoming’s feedground elk over the next two decades if the supplemental winter feeding continues.
Last year, WGFD finalized a plan to reduce elks’ dependence on feedgrounds. It was several years in the making and extremely controversial between differing managing opinions from ranchers, hunters and wildlife advocacy groups.
“It's the biggest challenge I've seen in my career is just addressing the entire feedground system,” said Lund, noting he’s been with WGFD for 25 years.
Wyoming has fed elk for about a century. The practice initially started to keep the animals off of nearby ranches and to help them survive brutal winters. All these years later, elk have come to depend on it.
So Lund said quitting cold turkey isn’t an option. But continuing to feed elk in the same way threatens the well being of one of western Wyoming’s most iconic wildlife. People come from all over the world to hunt, photograph and sightsee the herds.
“If there was a simple solution, it would have been done a long time ago,” Lund said.
The feedground plan sets a lengthy list of parameters for tapering elks’ reliance on the winter program. For example, the plan can’t affect things like hunting, elk population objectives and ranchers’ bottom lines.
Even before the CWD feedground cases, small changes were implemented. The Pinedale and Jackson herds are trying to shorten feeding seasons and spread feed out more. Now, post-CWD feedground cases, Lund said they’ll monitor those herds extra closely and remove any sickly animals.
But it's still unclear what large, actionable steps can be taken to reduce feedground dependence.
“Some things that are not possible right now, they might be possible in 10 years,” Lund said. “As far as opening up landscapes for elk to spend a winter on or habitat treatments that might increase forage off of a feed ground. It's going to be very difficult to make extreme, major changes quickly.”
But the science shows time is of the essence, according to reporting by WyoFile. Especially now that CWD has hit the feedground units. Lund noted, “We’re certainly concerned.”
