First elk to ever test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Jackson Hole is now reality. Grand Teton National Park confirmed on Dec. 16 that a CWD-infected cow elk tested positive after the animal was shot by a hunter. This is momentous as it almost certainly means that CWD is now present among the 7,000 elk that will winter on the adjacent National Elk Refuge and are artificially fed alfalfa pellets. It's a day that wildlife officials, epidemiologists, and conservationists knew would happen but hoped it never would.

Elk Tests Positive

Not good news.

And just like anything else, it’ll blow over and we all gonna be just fine

Does that mean Wyoming will kill 'em all off now? I have to think CWD is a natural occurrence in cervids.

on our side of the border they been running up the tag numbers, and giving out rifle tags in areas that I ain't ever seen rifle tags in, the last few years.

they have also started testing the few Deer that are harvested around here for CWD the last 2 years.

Wish the wolves would catch it!

If this had occurred elsewhere, it wouldn't be as much as an issue. But on the refuge, where thousands of elk will all be feeding for next couple months from the same trough, so to speak, it could possibly cause a much larger infection rate. And those elk that do get CWD will have migrated back to where they had come from before any symptons show. Thus, it will be difficult to gauge the damage immediately.

The end of the feed grounds on the refuge and 20 state feed grounds. Thus , many elk will die if a hard Winter occurs. It will get ugly and fewer elk to hunt and look at. The biologist for years have been looking for an excuse to get rid of feeding. This is it. I wish the Damn buffalo on the refuge that live in Teton Park would get.

Sad day.