Effect of Aggregation at a Winter Feeding Station on Intestinal Parasite Load in Elk (Cervus canadensis)
Class
Article
Department
Wildland Resources
Faculty Mentor
Johan DuToit
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Elk feeding stations are used throughout the Western US as a means to prevent depredation on private lands (Smith,2001). Many of the unintended effects of such artificial congregation remain unexamined. In many species, increased densities result in increased parasite loads (Dietz, 1988) adding physiological stress to individual animals and reducing the economic value of the animal to sportsmen (Choquette, 1956). Through laboratory analysis of fecal float samples, I will monitor changes in the number of parasite eggs for elk at Hardware Ranch feeding station over the winter season to discover if there may be negative implications of feeding stations which should be further examined. Increased prevalence of parasites could also indicate an increased danger for transmission of other diseases which are a threat to domestic livestock (Williams, 2002).
Start Date
4-9-2015 10:00 AM
Effect of Aggregation at a Winter Feeding Station on Intestinal Parasite Load in Elk (Cervus canadensis)
Elk feeding stations are used throughout the Western US as a means to prevent depredation on private lands (Smith,2001). Many of the unintended effects of such artificial congregation remain unexamined. In many species, increased densities result in increased parasite loads (Dietz, 1988) adding physiological stress to individual animals and reducing the economic value of the animal to sportsmen (Choquette, 1956). Through laboratory analysis of fecal float samples, I will monitor changes in the number of parasite eggs for elk at Hardware Ranch feeding station over the winter season to discover if there may be negative implications of feeding stations which should be further examined. Increased prevalence of parasites could also indicate an increased danger for transmission of other diseases which are a threat to domestic livestock (Williams, 2002).