About 450 dead Atlantic brant have been collected from the Brigantine Unit of Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Atlantic County, according to Refuge Manager Steve Atzert of the US Fish and Wildlife Service .
Tests are underway to determine the cause of the die-off.
The Atlantic brant hunting season resumes in the coastal zones, where most Atlantic brant are found, on Thursday, November 23, and runs through Jan. 9. The season was open previously Nov. 4 - 14. As soon as we know the cause of these deaths, we will revise our recommendations accordingly. The principal site of the brant die-off at the refuge has been the impoundments. They have been closed to the public, and all carcasses have been picked up and burned on site to limit the potential spread of disease organisms.