They said it couldn't happen...

Bambistew

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Chugiak, AK
Bad new from ADFG yesterday. They found a pathogen that is linked to mass die-offs of sheep in the L48 here in AK. Found in 4 samples of sheep and 2 from live mountain goat captures. Some of you may have seen this already, but this is terrible news. They have been testing and monitoring for the last 4-5 years and haven't detected anything before now.

Two years ago a proposal was submitted by the Wild Sheep Foundation to remove domestic sheep and goats from the "clean list" in Alaska and require testing and quarantine/fencing to prevent interaction with wild sheep. Of course it was met with severe resistance because we have never detected the disease in AK, and why should the gobm't tell us how to live! Well we're screwed now.. Hopefully this will be enough for the state Veterinarian to pull his head out of his ass.

The source of the samples comes from the heart of the Talkeetna sheep population. I would estimate that about 1/3 of the population is found in the area where the tests were positive. From here, it will take nothing for it to spread to the Chugach, throughout the rest of the Talkeetnas, and into the Alaska Range. Its just a matter of time now that its here.

I can't wait to hear the arguments that state to prove that it was from domestic sheep. I say if you're so sure, prove that it isn't. The pathogen is not endemic to the western hemisphere, so it came from domestic animals. The foremost experts in the field are confidant that it came from domestic sheep/goats. There is no cure, and there is no vaccine for either domestic or wild sheep. The majority of domestic sheep/goats are carriers of the disease, but its rarely fatal for them. I'm so glad that fewer than 1000 domestic pest owners are holding the state hostage over their "right" to have goat milk, meat, and wool, all while the rest of us and future hunters/wildlife enthusiast will lose our sheep herds.

I foresee similar findings in the near future. There are idiots with domestic pests located in virtually every mountain range very near wild sheep habitat.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=pressreleases.pr&release=2018_03_13
 
That sucks. Not being in AK, I don't know what I can do about it. I can only hope that either your level of alarm is spread to the State game managers or that you are wrong and the spread will not be as quick or vast as you fear.
 
That's terrible news. When are we going to do something about this? There's more than enough dirt on this earth for domestic sheep to reside on without having them next to wild sheep.

I noticed this past weekend that my 7 year old son has picked up on my hate for domestic sheep. We were driving over to Dillon and passed a big herd and he said "Look Daddy, the dumbest animal on earth."
 
I should say 1/3 of the sheep found in the Talkeetnas... not statewide. There are some areas that would be fairly isolated from any sort of disease transmission, but the Talkeetnas are in the heart of sheep country and are interconnected to other ranges near by...
 
Sucks to hear this. Why those animals area allowed within 100 miles of wild sheep habitat is beyond me. Many thanks to the Farm Bureau...
 
We still have problems here in Montana caused by this very issue as you all are aware of. They keep trying to make sure that domestic sheep are not being grazed in areas where wild sheep are, but it's tough to do.
 
Sucks to hear this. Why those animals area allowed within 100 miles of wild sheep habitat is beyond me. Many thanks to the Farm Bureau...

There is far too much land set aside for conservation in the United States. We need to eliminate more regulations in order to make America great again.
 
We still have problems here in Montana caused by this very issue as you all are aware of. They keep trying to make sure that domestic sheep are not being grazed in areas where wild sheep are, but it's tough to do.

There is no grazing in Alaska... Its unknown how they contracted the pathogen at this point, but there are domestic pests adjacent to wild sheep habitat in the area. A recent study suggests that the pathogen can be transferred in the air over something like a 100'.

It wouldn't be tough to take care of in the domestic flock. There are only 1800 domestics in the entire state. They could be tested, and if found positive. Quarantine until death, or take care of them outright. It is completely possible to have a movi free herd of domestic animals in Alaska, but the few hundred pest owners will not give up their "rights" to have a dirty animal, no mater the cost.

Imagine if this disease was contagious the other direction? What do you think the "ag" group would want to do about it?
 
Social media makes a guy realize how much work there is to do on this topic. Looking at comments... so many people refuse to believe that domestics carry and give M.ovi, or say it’s a distraction to cover for something else or that it’s just climate change.
 
Social media makes a guy realize how much work there is to do on this topic. Looking at comments... so many people refuse to believe that domestics carry and give M.ovi, or say it’s a distraction to cover for something else or that it’s just climate change.

Don't know if this was referring to my smart quip Riley, but I definitely believe the link between domestic and pneumonia in wild sheep. One of our local herds went from giving out 8 tags per year out of 250+ sheep to shutting the season down with about 20 sheep surviving.
 
Don't know if this was referring to my smart quip Riley, but I definitely believe the link between domestic and pneumonia in wild sheep. One of our local herds went from giving out 8 tags per year out of 250+ sheep to shutting the season down with about 20 sheep surviving.

No, definitely not yours.
 
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