Eating dove concerns

[hotty toddy]

I have heard alot of people in the last few days voice concerns over whether or not eating doves is safe this year because of west nile. I dont want to kill the people that I am feeding so if anyone knows anything about it I would like the insight.

Personally I think this is just people getting to spooked but better safe than sorry.

They sure are going to taste good hot off the grill though.

[judge jb]

i'm like you toddy, i don't want to be a statistic over a mess of doves.... i just hope we have more info before duck season..... i hope it is all hype, but until futher studies are done, i will tend to be safe than sorry.... they will keep in the freezer for a long time....

judge jb

[hotty toddy]

well all the birds that were killed that afternoon have been cooked exept the ones I brought home. No one is sick yet. To my knowledge

The birds all looked healthy and certainly didn't fly like they were sick I am just concerned that they are carriers.

[webfoot]

The West Nile virus outbreak has raised questions regarding the handling and consumption of doves and other game birds. Birds are the primary reservoir for West Nile virus. Mosquitoes transmit the virus
between birds, and from birds to people.

To date, the disease has been found primarily in crows and blue jays, although other birds and mammals are also affected. Less than one percent of the humans who become infected exhibit symptoms of the disease.

Thousands of hunters will be handling, dressing and cooking the doves they bag. West Nile virus is not common among mourning doves, so the likelihood of encountering a mourning dove infected with West Nile virus is very low, particularly if the bird appears healthy and is a strong flier. Mosquitoes are the only known means of transmission of the West Nile virus and direct transmission from birds to humans has not been documented.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that a person can get West Nile virus from handling live or dead infected birds.

If however, a hunter is still concerned about contracting West Nile virus from game birds, some simple precautions can be taken. Hunters can wear gloves while dressing birds to prevent blood contact with bare skin, and doves should be cooked thoroughly.

Most importantly, insect repellant should be used whenever hunters are in the field.Hunters should always be mindful that wild animals of any species should not be consumed if they appear unhealthy or act abnormally. The best protection against West Nile virus and other mosquito borne illnesses is the use of mosquito repellant and wearing of appropriate clothing while afield.

[Micah]

Thanks WebFoot. It's good to see something besides the media hype.

[Dutch Dog]

Shouldn't cooking the dove breast (thoroughly) eliminate/kill the virus? One of the doves we shot had been hit in the leg, while breasting the bird out the legbone punctured my thumb, its sore as hell, but I believe I'll live. I have had buddies that have cut their hands while dressing deer and they all said it got infected and was sore...I think it may have something to do with mixing blood. Anyway, be careful while dressing doves.

[HARLEY]

Well Dutch Dog that makes two of us, I was cleaning birds yesterday afternoon and stuck a broken wing bone right in my middle finger. Just like yours, today it's sore as $&!#.