Myakka

It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that one of our longtime residents, Myakka the Bald Eagle, has succumbed to a combination of old age and, we suspect, the debilitating effects of lead poisoning. 

In 1985 Myakka’s family nest was on the Myakka River in Florida.  His parents had three eggs in the nest.  Often in the wild when there are more than two chicks one will be pushed out of the nest by the larger siblings.  Therefore, Myakka’s egg was removed and hatched at the G.M. Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma as part of an effort to re-establish a wild population of Bald Eagles in Alabama.

After a successful release Myakka was injured in the wild by a gunshot.  He took three shotgun pellets--two to his left wing, which eventually healed completely.  At a rehab center in Minneapolis it was discovered that he had sustained permanent damage to one eye from another pellet, and because of that pellet’s position in Myakka’ head, it could not be removed.  In the wild this would have been his death sentence.  At the end of 1986, when his injuries had healed sufficiently he was transferred to the World Bird Sanctuary.

Even though he still carried the lead shot that caused his eye injury Myakka was a real trooper.  He integrated well into the routine of becoming an ambassador for his species, and over the years educated millions of people about the threats to his kind from human activities, and some of those activities’ thoughtlessness.

We believe that his demise was brought about in great part by the lead shot which he had carried since his injury.  Even though his injury had occurred many years ago, the lead was still in his system and we believe it finally had broken down enough to carry its poison to vital organs.  

Last week he began having trouble with balance and coordination, and then began to experience severe seizures—classic symptoms of lead poisoning.  When it became apparent that nothing we could do could help him it was decided to humanely euthanize him rather than let him suffer. 

Myakka will be sorely missed by one and all.

”Are you going to eat that?”

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.

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.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Lead Poisoning

ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TO LEAD POISONING IN WILD BIRDS?

X-ray of a bald eagle showing the distribution of lead possible when a bird is shot 

I love to watch nature shows on TV, especially when they feature birds of prey.  A few weeks ago I saw a wonderful program about Bald Eagles.  I watched intently and played what I call “sponge-brain”, soaking up all of the facts that I could.  I laughed when they showed footage of eagles “skating” along the ice floats.  I have seen eagles on ice numerous times, but still haven’t seen any “skating” for myself.  I keep trying to catch them in the act, though.  Even more memorable than that to me was the footage of something so very tragic that it brought me to tears.  It was of a Bald Eagle that had ingested lead shot from a carcass, and was suffering an agonizing death as it lay helpless in the snow.  Human efforts to save it came too late, but the video will hopefully have the same impact on others as it did for me.  I cannot get the images out of my head, which is what inspired me to write on this topic.  Lead poisoning can be treatable, if caught early enough.  Sadly, and more times than not, once a bird shows signs of the illness and is sick enough to be caught up, it is too late.

 Red Tailed Hawk x-ray.  If another raptor were to devour this carcass, how much lead would it ingest? 

Many well-meaning hunters, and some who are just plain careless, will leave the carcass or gut piles of large game, game birds, small mammals and even fish, and allow “nature to take its course”, as well as spent shot.  Well, that can be okay, unless you are hunting with lead ammunition or using lead weights for fishing.  Lead fragments from a lead rifle bullet can scatter into hundreds of pieces and remain intact in the tissues.  Fragments can be found several inches from the entry wound.  These can be ingested by avian predators and scavengers, such as Bald and Golden Eagles, California condors and red-tailed hawks, leading to their demise.  This is also a problem affecting wild turkey, mourning doves, ring-necked pheasants and northern bobwhite quail.  These birds feed on seeds and sometimes consume spent shot from the ground, as they mistake the shot for small stones used as grit.  In turn, these smaller birds that fall ill from the lead become primary targets for larger birds of prey.  It is an ugly cycle.

Waterfowl, such as Canadian geese, Trumpeter swans and pelicans are far from immune to this issue, as they can consume lead shotgun pellets or lead fishing gear that has settled to the bottom of lakes.  They also consume grit to aid in grinding food, and if there are lead remnants in the mix, there is a good chance that it will be ingested.  Again, this can not only affect the waterfowl themselves, but the bird of prey or other predator that targets the easiest of prey.  Lead shot was banned in 1991 for waterfowl hunting to protect birds of prey, but the problem of lead poisoning still persists.

A pelican who had swallowed hooks and lead weights while feeding 

Another topic close to my heart, which I have written about before, is fishing.  My prior writings dealt with the fact that every time I go fishing, I pick up gear that anglers have left behind, such as lures, line, hooks, etc., that can be a danger to wildlife.  We have had patients at our Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital such as Bald Eagles and pelicans that have become entangled in trot lines and sustained permanent injuries.

My focus here is still lead.  Are you still fishing with lead fishing sinkers or lead jig heads?  Every time your line breaks or a fish runs off with your lure, (I know that never happens to any of us!), you are adding to the risk factor of a water bird or fish ingesting it.  Birds can and will ingest hooks and other tackle as well.  And the circle starts over again. 

Many states are beginning to ban the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle, particularly in National Wildlife Refuges.  The Missouri Department of Conservation banned lead shot in 2007 in certain conservation areas.  The good news is that there are alternatives!  Lead-free bullets, such as copper, (The Barnes X-Bullet), are readily available.  Yes, they cost a little more, but I should hope that the individuals that choose nature as their playground would see that taking responsibility for the environment is definitely a worthy cause.  Sinkers and jigs made from non-poisonous materials like tin or copper are available as well.  Check your tackle boxes.  I am willing to bet that you have several lead sinkers and jigs in there.  If you have any lead tackle, please discard of it properly, such as taking it to your local household hazardous waste collection site. 

There will always be hunters and fishermen (and women!), and that’s fine by me.  I will never give up fishing!  But the difference that I want to try and make is to have more educated hunters and fisherman that will be aware of the dangers of the effects of lead and lead poisoning to our wildlife, and to our environment--what we are desperately trying to save.  I hope that folks will take this to heart, remember this article the next time you gear up, and share this information with the next generation of hunters and anglers.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator