Hunter Harvested Game Birds Blocked from Entry to US Due to Avian Flu Restrictions

US hunters cannot bring home game birds harvested while hunting in Mexico and 63 areas in Canada due to restrictions by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) aimed at preventing the spread of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. The prohibition applies to both unmounted trophy imports and raw meat from game birds. APHIS is a division of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) tasked with protecting the health of US agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases.

In Canada, unprocessed avian products originating from or transiting any one of 63 restricted zones will not be permitted to enter the United States. The zones are spread across Canada and have been identified by the Canadian government as areas with avian influenza outbreaks. They include Ontario (20 zones), Alberta (20 zones); Quebec (five zones); British Columbia (nine zones); Saskatchewan (nine zones) and Manitoba (one zone). Hunters can identify restricted zones by going to inspection.canada.ca and searching for “Highly pathogenic avian influenza zones.” Enter the name of the hunting area in the search box.

Unmounted game bird trophies from Canada must be consigned to an APHIS-approved taxidermy establishment to be imported to the United States.

South of the US border, any unprocessed avian products, including hunter harvested non-fully finished bird trophies or meat originating from or transiting through Mexico will not be permitted to the enter the US.

Some additional hunting countries from which bird products are currently blocked include Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, South Africa and Turkey.

Restrictions will be updated as additional epidemiological information is obtained by APHIS. Check the APHIS website for updated information at aphis.usda.gov. Search for animal-and-animal-product-import-information.