Talk of the bird flu, also refered to as Avian Influenza or H5N1 (H5), has been commonplace latley as there have been several outbreaks this year. This has been the primary drive for the high egg prices that everyone in the states is experiencing, as over 160 million birds have been killed on comercial poultry operations since the outbreak began. Outbreaks of the bird flu have also been found in and have effected cattle operations, wild bird populations, and human outbreaks—though those have been primarily individuals who have worked directly with sick animals at these operations.

As these outbreaks continue to affect all of us through prices of everyday goods, hunters have also began asking questions about how Avian Inflluenza will affect wild populations, game farms, and other outdoor related activities.

Avian Influenza Detections in Wild Waterfowl

Waterfowl hunters have kept a close eye on Avian Influenza as it has been detected in over 10,000 wild birds that have been tested, according to the CDC. As the spring snow goose migration continues, bird flu has been found across the flyways (and in commercial poultry). Wildlife managers remind us that although Avian Influenza is naturally occurring in waterfowl and shorebirds and typically doesn’t become a problem for humans or other birds, it can be troublesome when and where birds congregate. Because waterfowl are often asymptomatic carriers, they are generally to blame when an infection is found among other bird populations (domestic, commercial, and wild). This occurs through direct contact between birds, shared water sources, or accidental cross-contamination by people.

Since the first case, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) (a division of the USDA) and state and federal wildlife managers have been monitoring the spread. To date, tens of thousands of positive cases have now been identified in wild birds from Maine to Montana, as well as across Canada. There have also been detections in commercial poultry producers, with large-scale “depopulations”.

How will waterfowl fare during the spring breeding and nesting season and what impacts will we see during the fall hunting season? Only time will tell, and all we can do is anxiously watch the ongoing surveillance, while enacting safe and bio-secure practices to keep ourselves and our domestic birds isolated from wild waterfowl contacts.

Bird flu on Game Bird Farms

So maybe you’re not a waterfowl hunter and you think none of this matters to you—you’d be dead wrong. There is a very real and ongoing threat felt by the game bird producers and hunting preserves that are integral to bird hunting and bird dog training. Whether you plan to visit a shooting preserve before the wild bird opener, raise your own pigeons or quail this summer, or purchase a few mail-order birds to steady your dog before fall, there have been a few changes to the game bird industry, with a few looming dangers to keep an eye on.

Peg Ballou, president of the North American Gamebird Association (NAGA) mentions that Avian Influenza has already had some serious impacts, including a few operations who experienced depopulations. “Several hunting preserves have had issues, namely those facilities who also raise waterfowl. Luckily, the preserves were at the end of their season and they’re likely to bounce back prior to the fall season opener.”

Ballou mentions how all game bird producers have had to increase existing bio-security efforts to prevent introducing the virus to their commercial flocks. “Producers have been tasked with designing new protocols with proper entry/exit systems, separating flocks (especially those with waterfowl), decontaminating clothing and equipment, and taking additional measures to discourage wild waterfowl from visiting their properties. H5 can live in fecal matter, it can live in ponds, on clothing, in carcasses, and it really doesn’t take much to cause a big problem. This is serious and it all comes down to maintaining a high-level of bio-security.”

Although Avian Influenza seems to be declining during the spring and summer months, producers and preserves continue to be at risk.

Backyard Bird Doggers Affected by H5N1

If you’re still thinking none of this is hitting close to home, if you plan to purchase training birds or start your backyard quail pen this summer, you may want to pay attention now.

Zack Zawada, president of Zukovich Game Birds, said his operation has experienced a few difficulties from the bird flu outbreak. “This couldn’t have hit at a worse time, right when folks are looking to acquire birds for training and trialing. We’ve had to adopt greater bio-secure measures at our facility, including setting up an off-site transfer station. No one is allowed on-site at this time.”

Zawada affirms that production is strong and does not anticipate any disruptions to sales and shipping, but reminds buyers to have some patience. “We’ve had to adapt to some additional testing and permitting, extra labor costs, care, and attention, but we’re carrying on with business as usual. We’re following our state-mandated protocols—the same as the commercial poultry producers—and we’re jumping through all the hoops to keep our birds safe.”

Bird Flu Best Practices for Hunters

There is a relatively low threat for Avian Influenza to impact wild upland game birds, but not a zero threat. Because wild birds are much more widely distributed, isolated as individuals or smaller groups, and reside in remote and harder-to-access locations, it’s unlikely bird flu will have serious impacts to them. It’s also doubtful that wild birds will be discovered sick or deceased from bird flu before being consumed by a scavenger. As the spring migration wrap up the threat for waterfowl to expose upland birds will reduce even further.

The CDC maintains there is a low-risk for the virus to infect humans and that wild bird meat is safe to eat, but that doesn’t mean bird hunters shouldn’t take proper precautions given the fact that wild birds may be asymptomatic and may not appear to be sick. There is also, a real threat for hunters bringing home infected wild birds and transmitting Avian Influenza to their domestic poultry (chickens, turkey, ducks, and geese) or pen-raised game birds, in which case cautionary efforts should be made to avoid introducing the virus to their backyard flocks.

Whether you hunt waterfowl or upland birds, these best practices are common sense, and an easy chore for the sanitization specialists we’ve become since the COVID-19 pandemic. Do not take, handle, or keep wild birds that appear to be sick. Visual signs of H5 often include lethargy, stumbling, abnormal behavior, twisted neck, swollen head/neck, nasal discharge, and coughing. Immediately report suspected H5 bird mortalities to your state wildlife agency for further investigation and testing.

Wear gloves when processing meat, wash your hands after handling, avoid cross-contamination, properly discard carcasses, and cook meat thoroughly (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit). If you do keep backyard poultry or raise training birds, it’s recommended that you handle wild birds at an off-site location, take extra efforts to decontaminate, avoid cross-contamination, and discourage waterfowl from visiting your property.