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When I started hunting, small-game hunting seemed almost as popular as deer season.
We eagerly awaited the middle of October and the opportunity to tramp the woods and fields looking for rabbits, grouse or pheasants. Not only were they great fun to hunt but also wonderful eating after returning home with some weight in the game bag on an autumn afternoon.
The first animal I bagged in my hunting career was a rabbit, and I remember it like it was last week. But some of my fondest small-game memories were days afield shared with three or four good friends working together to find our quarry. Small-game hunting could be a wonderful bonding event for friends and family, young and old.
Nowadays, it seems that most hunters regard small game as mostly just an afterthought. And while there are any number of plausible reasons for the declining trend of small-game hunting, one that comes up most often seems to be a lack of game to hunt. Some of that can be blamed on loss of habitat.
Most veteran hunters can relate to an old favorite grouse cover or bunny field that is now a housing development. And wild pheasants are now just a wonderful memory for those of us old enough to remember those glory days. I suppose that's why some recent news regarding some small-game species stings a little more regarding a long cherished pastime.
In late August the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture revealed two captive rabbits tested positive for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in Fayette County. RHD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects rabbits and hares that was first identified in domestic rabbits in France in 2010. Since its discovery, RHD has been responsible for mass die-offs in wild rabbit populations in several countries.
The disease was first found in the United States in 2020 and is now endemic in a number of western states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. In addition to Pennsylvania, RHD has been found in domestic rabbits in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin.
According to information released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, RHD poses no human health risk, but it often fatal to infected rabbits and hares with no specific treatment available. Local die-offs in wild populations can be as high as 75 to 100 percent. In an effort to prevent the spread of RHD to wild rabbit populations, the PGC has established a small Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Management Area as a five-mile radius around the site of the captive facility in Fayette County where the infected rabbits were detected. Some special regulations are in effect in the RHD-DMA: The feeding of wild rabbits is prohibited within the RHD-DMA. Hunters harvesting rabbits within the RHD-DMA need to prepare them for consumption before removing them from the RHD-DMA. Only the meat, with or without bone, may be removed from the RHD-DMA. The removal of all other rabbit parts from the RHD-DMA is prohibited.
Last month, more than 30 Canada geese recovered sick or dead recently at Griffin Reservoir in Lackawanna County were found to be infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, This disease is highly contagious and fatal to domestic poultry as well as wild birds. Since the beginning of 2022, the Game Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have tested almost 1,000 wild bird throughout Pennsylvania, with 47 specimens detected with HPAI, indicating that the current outbreak of the disease is statewide. Pennsylvania's commercial poultry industry was also affected with 4.2 million birds destroyed after 17 commercial flocks were found to be infected with HPAI.
Another troublesome aspect is HAPI can also infect humans, although only once case of HPAI in a human has been detected during the current outbreak. With many of the hunting seasons for wild birds and waterfowl are currently underway or will be opening soon, the PGC is recommending some precautions for hunters about handling wild birds they harvest. Bird hunters should:
n Harvest only healthy-looking wild birds.
n Wear gloves when handling any wild birds.
n Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately after handling wild birds.
n Dress harvested wild birds in the field.
n Change clothing as needed, especially if visibly soiled or if any wild birds made contact with clothing.
n Change clothing, including footwear, before coming in contact with any pet birds or domestic poultry
n Wash all equipment, tools, and work surfaces with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10% household bleach solution. Allow to air dry or rinse after 10 minutes of contact time.
In order to monitor and control the spread of RHD and HPAI, the public is asked to report cases of sick or dead rabbits or birds. Sick or dead domestic birds or rabbits should be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852. Sick or dead wild birds or rabbits should be reported to the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD or online using the Wildlife Health Survey tool at www.pgcapps.pa.gov/WHS.