Further avian flu information.

In my last post I told you that I was stopping my hunting activities due to Avian flu. One cannot help but second guess decisions like that, but apparently it was the right decision. I received this email from North American Falconers Association.

Avian Influenza Alert!!!! Level two
1 message
NAFA President <nafapresident@n­a­f­a.com> Fri, Dec 19, 2014 at 5:02 PM
Reply­To: nafapresident@n­a­f­a.com
To: lcottrell1020@gmail.com
Dear Larry
Earlier this week I informed you of an Avian Influenza outbreak in northern
Washington. This same virus has now been found in a flock of domestic guinea fowl
in southern Oregon. These fowl were exposed to migratory waterfowl in a local marsh.
I received a call today from Dr. Pat Redig today and the autopsies on the dead
falcons from northern Washington have shown this to be a very contagious and
deadly form of Avian Influenza. Dr. Redig recommends a temporary break from
waterfowl hunting be taken by all falconers hunting in the Pacific Flyway at least until
more information is available.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2014/SA_H5N8_Oregon.pdf
If you chose to continue hunting ducks with your falcons and goshawks, I would be
very cautious about letting multiple birds eat the same duck. The duck can appear
perfectly healthy, and freezing will not kill the virus. Also, be cautious of using the
same glove with multiple birds creating blood and saliva exchange.

Jessie seems to be happy with the decision, she has been fed two days in a row. That hasn't happened for a long time.

An early end to hawking this year.

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, I have decided to end my Hawking this year. Its bad enough that there are few opportunities for Ducks due to the ongoing drought. Now it appears to me that there is a real danger from a strain of "bird Flu", HPA1 H5N8 to be exact. A friend on the Canadian Washington border just lost four of his falcons after one of his Falcons killed a Duck. That falcon fed from it and he fed the rest of the Duck to his other breeding falcons. They died within a couple of days from the disease. He and his wife are quarantined until they can find for sure that it was not transmitted to them as well. I am not worried about Karen and I, but I have no intention of risking Jessie to that stuff. It would only take a couple of days for birds from that flock to arrive here given the right storm. The last two times that we have gone out, there was nothing on the Lake for her to fly. So any Ducks that we get here will be migrants from the North.

Below is a press release from NAFA.