Will avian flu affect pheasant hunting

[PattyThomboy]

Recently walked Pequest fields for pheasants, basically took the dog and my shotgun for a walk.  No birds were scented but it had just snowed a bit. 
So, noting the njfg&w note on the presence of avian flu in the area will they stop stocking ? Is that what this article is eluding too?  
Gotta wonder if this is a bio weapon to affect our infrastructure of game birds and wild birds.  I’ve noticed a significant decline in number of birds in the area. 
They say it’s mutating and becoming infectious to humans, perhaps to other predatory species too.  
This could have far reaching consequences time will tell. 🪶

[PattyThomboy]

Seems Merrill Creek has bird influenza outbreaks with the migratory birds.  This may have far reaching impacts on our waterfowl and upland bird hunts.  Isn’t anyone following this too??? 

[Bucksnbows]

1 minute ago, PattyThomboy said:

Seems Merrill Creek has bird influenza outbreaks with the migratory birds.  This may have far reaching impacts on our waterfowl and upland bird hunts.  Isn’t anyone following this too??? 

Yes, following it but there really is nothing any of us can do. Avian flu is now in all 50 states and spreading. Like Covid in humans, it needs to run its course. 

[trapoholic]

The bird flu will definitely affect the snow geese as mentioned. The way they travel in flocks of 2,000 to 5,000 birds, could be very detrimental to the species.

[Bucksnbows]

10 minutes ago, trapoholic said:

The bird flu will definitely affect the snow geese as mentioned. The way they travel in flocks of 2,000 to 5,000 birds, could be very detrimental to the species.

Or the best thing to happen to them. USFWS has been concerned for decades about their large numbers and how they might eat themselves out of food during summer months in the Arctic tundra. They have always felt a disease would spread rapidly with snows. 

[mazzgolf]

Given that pheasant stocking has stopped for the year and won't pick back up until next November, this current avian flu outbreak won't have any immediate effects to pheasant hunting (I doubt it will affect even the semi-wild preserves - where you can still hunt now - who also raise their birds in pens).

IMO, it will "benefit" the snow geese population. (well, won't benefits the snows that die from it but... ) We've been allowed to basically go to war on them through April for years with unlimited bag limts and unplugged shotguns, but it hasn't really done anything to limit their over-population. The arctic needs the number of snows to be reduced; this is God's way of saying, "Step aside, you hunters. You aren't doing your job, so let me handle this."