Keep Your Dog Safe This Waterfowl Hunting Season

by
posted on September 17, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
cyanobacteria-from-spaaaaace.jpg

Waterfowl season is on its way, and with it comes a threat to hunting dogs that you might not have known about: cyanobacteria. Also known as "blue-green algae," this oldest known form of life on Earth (no kidding!) comes in forms that are beneficial...but others that can be quite harmful, particularly when conditions are right to cause an "algal bloom." These kinds of blooms are common in early fall, as well as when an excess of nutrients can be found in the water body...and they release toxins that are very dangerous for dogs. Waterfowl hunters who will have retrieving dogs with them during the upcoming seasons should check water bodies for blooms before allowing their dogs in the water, according to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

The risk is small but very real. Each year, there are several reports of dog deaths around the country caused by cyanobacteria.

“While cooler weather may knock down existing blooms on some lakes, the same weather may stimulate blooms on other lakes,” said Angela Shambaugh, an environmental scientist with the Agency of Natural Resources. “As waterfowl season gets underway, waterfowl hunters should know to keep their dogs away from cyanobacteria blooms. Because many of them are out on the water well before daylight, they should consider checking conditions the day before.”

“Don’t let pets or livestock swim in or drink from areas where the water is discolored or where you see foam, scum or mats of cyanobacteria on the water’s surface,” she added.

The Health Department also has a fact sheet for veterinarians and pet owners.

Latest

Deer Dentition Lede
Deer Dentition Lede

Smile: How to Age a Deer by Looking at Its Teeth

This great video from the National Deer Association demonstrates how to find out for sure how old your harvest really was.

Daniel Defense Named Official Stage Sponsor for 2025 NRA World Shooting Championship

Competitors will be tested with the precision-rich features on rifles designed by Daniel Defense as they aim to be crowned the "World’s Best Shooter."

Watch: Relaunching the NRA

We pledge that, no matter who you are, there will always be an NRA for you.

First Impressions: Chiappa Rhino 30DS X Stainless-Steel Revolver

It's not about nostalgia, but instead control, balance, and refinement born from mechanical evolution.

Smith & Wesson Training Academy Opens in Tennessee

World-class firearms, world-class instructors, and world-class facilities come together for a world-class training experience.

Warm-Weather Hunting: How to Cool Your Game

Early hunting seasons can coincide with the last breaths of summer, and heat is the enemy of tasty game meat.

Interests



Get the best of NRA Family delivered to your inbox.