Prevention, preparation and preservation strategies you’ll learn at this year’s Hunting Club Conference...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains one of the most pressing threats to the gamebird industry, and it will be front and center at this year’s Hunting Club Conference. NAGA has spent years studying, exchanging information and educating gamebird businesses about HPAI – so much so that some may feel they’ve heard it all before. But while the topic may be tiresome, the risk is still very real – and the need to stay vigilant has never been more important.
And now we know that hunting preserves are vulnerable unless they practice the 3 Ps:
Preventing Avian Influenza
The best strategy for HPAI is not to get it. While this is not a 100% foolproof plan, it's still well worth the time to give it a shot because it could save you lots of money and the heartache and hassle of depopulation. But it requires buy-in from everyone working at your hunt club. Dr. Nancy Jackson with the Mississippi Board of Animal Health will discuss "How Good Staff Training Can Prevent Avian Influenza."
Preparing for Avian Influenza
Sometimes, prevention strategies don't work, and the disease finds its way through your defenses. Or your club doesn't get HPAI, but your supplier does. The time to figure out what to do isn’t at that moment but much earlier as you implement a plan in case the worst occurs that keeps you in business and your employees on the job. John Carpenter with Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds will present “Ensuring Business Continuity When an Outbreak Occurs.”
Preservation of Your Hunting Club
Key decisions will determine your preserve's ability to function in the event of an HPAI outbreak. One of these decisions is whether to break your club into separate premises. While it may seem like a lot of paperwork and resources to do, Prairie Wildlife’s Todd Robinson of West Point, Mississippi, will share his own story of “How Split Premises Can Save Your Business,”
“The exchange of vital information is one major reason why the Hunting Club Conference is so important to the future of the gamebird business,” explained NAGA President Mike Martz, owner of Pennsylvania’s Martz’s Gap View Preserve. “These three presentations are essential to keeping ourselves in business, and a great example of what makes this event one you can’t afford to miss.”
Learn more about the 4th Annual NAGA Hunting Club Conference – set for July 21-23 in Tunica, Mississippi, at NorthAmericanGamebird.com/Hunting-Club-Conference/Event-Details.
