Bird Flu

[grizhunter]

What precautions can hunters take to reduce the risk for infection when hunting birds in the United States ?
Hunters should follow routine precautions when handling game, including wild birds. The National Wildlife Health Center recommends that hunters:

Do not handle or eat sick game.
Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning game, wash hands with soap and water (or with alcohol-based hand products if the hands are not visibly soiled), and thoroughly clean knives, equipment and surfaces that come in contact with game.
Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.
Cook all game thoroughly.

Lets all hope this does not spread to USA,It could wipe out all types of birds.

[kingkilla]

killer miller, iowamig8or and myself were shooten geese one day and we shot a goose that was just messed up. it definetly had some disease. it had a growth on its foot. it was missing half its feathers on one side, and the feathers were a brown color in spots. i didnt know what to do with it. i didnt know if i should of called the DNR or what. i didnt clean it because i was afraid of bird flu. what would you boys of done with a messed up bird?

[GooseRefuge.com]

As far as I have heard -- there is no immediate threat in our migratory flocks correct? I did read that there is a good probability that the bird flu should effect our birds by as early as this spring. Pretty scary stuff -- hope it doesn't hit us as hard as they say it could.

[Trent-Hermsmeyer]

Ok, think about it...Before all the hype about the avian influenza was started what would you have thought about shooting a messed up bird? There are an infinite number of things that could have been wrong with that bird, most likely a pellet in the leg where the growth was, then his body never caught up from healing that leg which made him much more susceptible to disease.

Yes, it can and probably will spread to north american birds, and may already have to some. I can only imagine what might happen to the snow geese. Maybe mother nature is trying to thin out the population, we may not be doing a good enough job? Only time will tell, but don't worry about getting the bird flu yourself, because up to this point it doesn't spread to humans easily because it is a slow morphing strain.

Hope...Pray...that's pretty much all that can be done.

[Max4Gooser]

Good posts guys, I have been using the gloves for a while, and it is a good idea. I read somewhere, that buy nothandling the intestines and fecal material, that it will significantly decrease the chances of contaminating yourself with avian flue. Reality is that the Avian Flue has been around for a long time, it has become more of a hot topic than it should partially because of doom and gloomers bringing it out as a possible source as a bio weapon. It is something that we should respect, but their is no reason for widespread fear or panic at this time.

[SMOKE]

It almost reminds me of CWD in deer. CWD is basically the same thing as mad cow diseas just in deer. i did a report on it while i was in college and as long as meat and carcasses are handled as they should be we will have nothing to worry about.

[Max4Gooser]

You know smoke, right after I posted my response, I thought of the CWD analogy. Good point.

[SMOKE]

When i did the report i found one major difference between cwd and mad cow desease. Mad cow has actually killed people where as far as i knew at the time there was no cwd related deaths. CWD was kind of a mutant form of mad cow i guess you could say. BUt look at it now we hardly hear anything about either one anymore. Im sure the bird flu will be the same way you just have to take proper precautions.

[Trent-Hermsmeyer]

But with bird flu, it is mostly contained to the digestive tracts. Don't get me wrong, the disease will be in the blood, but not as much as in the guts where I rarely delve into.

CWD and Mad Cow are nervous system diseases, and the only way a human could get them would be through eating nervous tissues such as brain, spine, some bone structures, etc. Almost all of the nerves in meat will cook out if the meat is cooked properly as all game should. Just be careful not to make your jerky too thick.

[huntntyme]

What about our dogs? How would the bird flu affect dogs when they retrieve downed birds ? Are they also at risk ?

[Max4Gooser]

That is a good question, I haven't seen anything on avian flue and dogs.
I wonder if the DU biologists would have any info.

[SMOKE]

What about our dogs? How would the bird flu affect dogs when they retrieve downed birds ? Are they also at risk ?


very good question

[Trent-Hermsmeyer]

I think I'll start to worry when they find it in large numbers of North American waterfowl. You know, the birds that contract it will fall ill quickly and if you are at all aware of the way mother nature does business, she'll clean up this little mess quickly. Maybe clean up the population problems in ASIA and this may be a wake up call to our friends the snow geese. It would seem they're most susceptible.

[sharron1]

I was reading an article on birdflu. I just want to share the that with you.

http://www.caring.com/news/new-weapon-may-help-battle-bird-flu

[dirtycletus81]

About 10 min from me is the Kankakee FWA. I didn't hunt it very much this year but last year there was a guy from Texas driving around to each party and checking their birds for avian. I was told if you shoot a deer you should send a chunk of the meat to the state and have them check for CWD.