Since I
began volunteering for WBS in 2004, then joining the staff in 2009, my interest
in many aspects of conservation have grown. In the last few years, one
particular area of concern that has really piqued my interest has come about because of a newfound passion for
deer hunting.
I became interested in the sport due
solely to several of my coworkers, as I was raised with virtually no exposure
to hunting in my family.
Over the
past two years I broadened my horizons and participated in the Apprenticeship
Program offered through the Missouri Department of Conservation. This is a great program, which allows
for new or inexperienced hunters to hunt under the supervision and guidance of
a licensed hunter for up to two years before they must complete the MDC Hunters
Education Course. It was a great
opportunity for me, as I wanted to see if I could “pull the trigger” before
committing the time to the 15 hour course. And who better than to take me under their wing than my
fellow co-worker, fishing buddy, mentor and friend, Naturalist Trina
Whitener.
After a
successful hunt this past November, I decided that this is a hobby I want to
pursue, and successfully completed the Missouri Hunter’s Education Course
through MDC this past weekend.
Through learning about the many aspects of hunting, I came across some
quite disturbing information that I want to pass along to all fellow hunters
and fishermen as well.
I titled
this blog “Are you going to eat that,” to address a subject of which many in the
hunting and fishing community don’t seem to be aware. The topic is lead poisoning, both in humans and in
wildlife. If you hunt or fish or
know someone who does, I beg you to read on and take this information to
heart. This blog will deal solely
with the topic of lead ammunition and fishing sinkers. Because it is such a broad topic, time
and space will only allow me to cover the highlights.
“Humans
have been mining and using this heavy metal for thousands of years, poisoning
themselves in the process. Although lead poisoning is one of the oldest known
work and environmental hazards, the modern understanding of the small amount of
lead necessary to cause harm did not come about until the latter half of the 20th century. No safe threshold for lead exposure
has been discovered—that
is, there is no known amount of lead that is too small to cause the body
harm.” (This is an excerpt from a
Wikipedia article.)
The bold
type in the above paragraph is my notation, since those of us who love to hunt
and fish handle lead ammunition and sinkers in the pursuit of our hobby—not to
mention the fish and meat that we ingest that has been contaminated by these
“tools of the trade”.
Published here by permission of the Institute for Wildlife Studies - This diagram shows the difference in fragmentation between lead and non-lead ammunition upon firing
Much of
the available ammunition and sinker weights, as well as reloaded ammunition and
home made sinkers, contain lead.
Lead poses a serious danger to people and to wildlife. What many hunters may not be aware of
is that a lead bullet will typically shed 15 – 30% of it’s weight upon impact around
the bullet’s path, leaving small shards of lead
fragments in the meat. Ultimately
this lead ends up on your dinner plate. Even if the bullet exits the animal, it
leaves a trail of toxic lead fragments that may not be visible with the naked
eye.
Published here by permission of the Institute for Wildlife Studies - photo shows the mushroomed lead bullet (in center of photo) surrounded by the lead fragments sheared off and imbedded in the target. Brown objects are the pieces of the copper jacket material. Hence, our title, "Are You Going To Eat That?"
And what
about the entrails that are typically left in the woods after field dressing
game? This will contain lead
fragments as well and is the number one culprit of lead poisoning in birds of
prey – bald eagles, golden eagles, condors, vultures, hawks, and mammals, too.
Published here by permission of the Institute for Wildlife Studies - This x-ray shows the lead fragments imbedded in a deer's gut.
The good
news is that simply choosing non-lead bullets and sinkers, which are becoming
more and more readily available, can prevent this type of suffering. I know that for many folks, changing
something that one has always done and what they are used to isn’t easy. If you have used lead ammunition and
sinkers for as long as you can remember, I encourage you to really consider
your future purchases, and what you already have in your tackle box and
ammunition cans. This is a choice
that must be made in one’s own conscience, a choice that truly comes down to
the greater good, for you and wildlife.
I have
read several arguments about why many sportsmen are reluctant to switch from
lead ammunition. Many fear that
non-lead ammo will perform inferiorly.
Surveys of hunters in the field have shown that non-lead ammo performs
as well as or better than lead. I
will vouch for that myself, as I harvested my first deer last year with a
.30-.30 rifle at 100 yards taken with a Barnes VX round. I had no worries about lead fragments
in the meat that’s in my freezer that I will share with friends and family.
Published here by permission of Saving Our Avian Resources
This magnificent Bald Eagle has not been shot. It is dying from lead poisoning due to ingesting lead tainted prey or carrion.
This magnificent Bald Eagle has not been shot. It is dying from lead poisoning due to ingesting lead tainted prey or carrion.
In my
opinion, I have yet to see an argument that
outweighs preventing the senseless deaths of wildlife, particularly birds of
prey. Lead poisoning is a horrific
way for such majestic creatures to perish, and wildlife rehabilitators all over
the country are seeing more and more of it every day.
For more
information on this subject Click Here.
The other
argument that I have heard most often is that non-lead bullets cost too
much. I would have to
disagree. I have seen for myself
some non-lead ammo that was actually cheaper than lead. When I have found non-lead ammo that
does cost more than lead, it is usually only a few dollars more per box. If you are going shooting at a target
range, whether or not you use lead isn’t going to affect our wildlife. When going on a hunt, please think
about what you will be putting on your plate, and about what you will be
leaving behind in the field.
World
Bird Sanctuary is getting behind several other organizations that are getting
the word out to get the lead out of hunting. We have just added an informative banner in our Environmental
Educational Center regarding the effects of lead ammunition on wildlife, and
the dangers posed to humans.
For more
information about what you can do to help, visit www.huntingwithnonlead.org and
spread the word to your fellow sportsman.
It is our responsibility to continue to help preserve our natural
resources, including wildlife.
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