Restrictions on Hunter Harvested Wild Bird Game Meat from Canada
- Thread starter Nick Zito
- Start date
USDA dropped this at 6:30 pm on Friday evening before a long weekend after the seasons had started in Canada with US hunters already harvesting birds. Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl have already expressed their concern. I hope this does not stand but it?ll be a battle against a powerful poultry industry. These ducks and geese are going to migrate despite the USDA order.
Phil Nowack
Well-known member
Migrate???? you mean... they might cross the boarder????[shocked]
Phil Nowack said:
Yes, and un-vaccinated too........
I fear we're in for a future of pathogen-o-mania. I guess you'll be eating lots of ducks quickly if you hunt there.
Makes no sense at all. " Can't fix stupid"
I guess that means they have no control over flyovers. If you a notice a duck coughing or sneezing this year, DO NOT ATTEMPT HARVEST.
Hell, the idiots in charge cannot keep illegal bipeds out, AND, DO NOT check them for the chinese plague. How do we expect the fws to detain waterfowl? Perhaps, they can get the Air Force to intecerpt and shoot on sight?
Hell, the idiots in charge cannot keep illegal bipeds out, AND, DO NOT check them for the chinese plague. How do we expect the fws to detain waterfowl? Perhaps, they can get the Air Force to intecerpt and shoot on sight?
Brad Bortner said:
(excerpt from the USDA order; emphasis added)
Hunter-harvested unprocessed wild game bird meat/carcasses, originating from or transiting Canada, will not be permitted to enter the United States regardless of the Canadian province from which the bird was harvested. APHIS is aware of the impact this will have on hunting season and will provide updates if new information is received.
Brad, It would appear that the only real change is birds/carcasses will need to be processed, packaged and labeled by a commercial Canadian processor before said meat can be brought home? Rather than thrown in a cooler with wings/head attached and brought directly home by the hunter(s).
OR does taking the birds to a processer in Canada not meet the order as written?
The timing of this is unfortunate. I have no idea what the risk of carcasses might be as a vector for avian flu.
I once had an interesting exchange with US customs flying home from a fishing trip in Belize. I'd brought a small fly tying kit that included some fur and feathers. Can't remember everything that I carried, but it was small enough to fit in my carry-on and surely included some calf tails, some rabbit fur, maybe some other processed fur, and some chicken feathers. All was purchased commercially in the US.
On our way home, we had to clear customs in the Miami airport, and I got selected for a random luggage check. I think I may have been technically in violation of some rule, but when they realized I was not importing any illegal materials and hear my explanation that all the materials had come with me from the US on my outbound flight, they let me go with a warning.
Do any of you who regularly fish in Canada know what the rules are for bring fur and feathers for fly-tying or lure making feathers and fur back and forth over the border? I think there are some materials (polar bear hair?) that are legal in Canada but not in the US.
I assume with avian flu front and center right now, I might not get the same kind treatment from customs as I did 20 years ago.
I once had an interesting exchange with US customs flying home from a fishing trip in Belize. I'd brought a small fly tying kit that included some fur and feathers. Can't remember everything that I carried, but it was small enough to fit in my carry-on and surely included some calf tails, some rabbit fur, maybe some other processed fur, and some chicken feathers. All was purchased commercially in the US.
On our way home, we had to clear customs in the Miami airport, and I got selected for a random luggage check. I think I may have been technically in violation of some rule, but when they realized I was not importing any illegal materials and hear my explanation that all the materials had come with me from the US on my outbound flight, they let me go with a warning.
Do any of you who regularly fish in Canada know what the rules are for bring fur and feathers for fly-tying or lure making feathers and fur back and forth over the border? I think there are some materials (polar bear hair?) that are legal in Canada but not in the US.
I assume with avian flu front and center right now, I might not get the same kind treatment from customs as I did 20 years ago.
Huntindave McCann said:
Dave, game bird meat processed in Canada would meet the USDA importation requirement but would not meet the USFWS importation requirement. I don?t know if there are enough Canadian butchers taking gamebirds to meet the demand. However, I fail to see the need for the USDA order. There is little chance in my mind of unprocessed meat serving as a vector to spread the disease to American poultry farms that have proper biosecurity. The same migratory birds are going to migrate to the US despite the USDA order and they won?t be wrapped in plastic and frozen. Those poultry facilities will need strong biosecurity measures despite the USDA order.
I personally don?t want to turn my white-fronts, Canada geese, mallards and pintails into sausage or pepperoni sticks.
Brad Bortner said:
It would appear that this would be a classic example of "conflict of laws". Given that both regulations are issued by Federal governing bodies, the precedent set (by the courts), would indicate that the most recently issued regulation would prevail. Thus, a person abiding by the USDA requirement, could not be held to the USFWS requirement.
Purely for sake of discussion, NOT legal advice!!!!! [w00t]
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Dave, keep your day job. Yes the regulations are now in conflict. My point was the USDA regulation is going to be completely ineffective and is unnecessary. You may not agree but some regulations are useful. Some.
Brad Bortner said:
Brad,
What would be the reasoning behind the USFWS taking precedence over the USDA? Agreeing with or disagreeing with either regulation, is not the point I'm debating.
on a related note;
At work there were many occasions when regulations were in direct conflict with other older regulations. In almost every case (I say almost because I can not be certain is was 100%), the newest most current regulation took precedent over an older regulation. (even if that was not the intent of the new regulation) Yes, after much debate between agencies or a even a court case, one of the conflicting regulations was ruled null and void.
Based on my past dealings with conflicting laws and regulations, until a ruling is made, the prevailing procedure is in favor of the most currently issued regulation.
Dave, as far as I know there is no precedence issue. Both are in effect and I assume will be enforced. That effectively makes it impossible to bring hunter harvested game birds back from Canada. I am hoping someone sees the error of their ways soon.