Mission

The foundation is organized exclusively for the educational, charitable and scientific purposes related to elk ranching and its supporting industry, which includes the following:

To engage in health research for the identification, prevention, treatment and management of prominent and emerging diseases impacting elk, and hybrids thereof.
To engage in research to improve and better understand all phases of production, management and herd health.
To provide information and expertise to the elk industry, which can be used to preserve the purity of the North American elk genetic pool.
To assist in the development of recommendations for sound policies relating to animal health for state, provincial and federal regulations.
To assist in research to develop understanding of the benefits of elk ranching and its yielded products.
To educate and publish findings to the general public and the elk industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Elk Research Foundation may collaborate with the American Elk Products Foundation and Canadian Elk Products Foundation in coordinated efforts for the benefit of the elk ranching industry.

The Elk Research Foundation (ERF) is working to protect elk health and breeding by moving forward with the following goals and initiatives. Many of these initiatives are currently underway in ERF funded research studies. Some of these studies include working in conjunction with other foundations, associations, universities and government agencies.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Develop an ante-mortem (live) test for CWD to be performed on elk that can be recognized by USDA APHIS and CFIA. Less invasive methods preferred.

Develop a CWD vaccine.

Understand the true impacts of CWD on elk and other cervids in both farmed and wild populations.

Understand the prevalence of CWD in farmed and wild elk.

Understand genetic influences related to CWD infection and incubation.

Understand environmental relationships.

Tuberculous (TB)

Continue to monitor the status of the DPP test in farmed elk by reviewing the numbers of DPP tests being conducted for TB surveillance purposes, and reviewing data that provides information about DPP test performance in the field.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD)/ Blue Tongue (BTV)

Understand the prevalence and impact of EHD/BTV on elk.

Develop a vaccine for elk, if disease prevalence warrants.

Anthrax

Assess risk of Anthrax to farmed elk.

Elk Breeding

Puberty Research in Elk Heifers.

Elk Hybridization

Tracking Offspring of Elk Carrying Hybrid Genes.