Hunters have a long conservation history...
 Reducing lead from the food web is another step we as hunters can take to support wildlife and continue our leadership in conservation.
When an animal is shot with lead bullets, as much as a third or more of the bullet's total weight can be fragmented into hundreds or even thousands of tiny pieces upon impact and remain inside the body. Fragments have been seen as far as 18 inches from the pathway of the bullet inside the animal. Some of these lead fragments are so small they are not visible to the naked eye but are clearly present in x-rays.
 Credit/Description: X-ray of a domestic sheep shot with lead ammuntion. Bullet fragments are visible as bright specks within the red circles and are located throught the thoracic cavity and into the pelvic cavity. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Farmland Wildlife Populations and Research Group, 35365 800th Ave, Madelia, MN 56062.
When gut piles or parts of animal carcasses that were shot with lead bullets remain in the field, lead fragments often are left with it. Scavenging wildlife such as bald eagles take advantage of these free meals, unintentionally ingesting lead fragments while consuming the remains. Even after ingesting a tiny amount of lead, lead poisoning can occur, causing neurological and motor impairments that can lead to death or long term impairment within a matter of days.
In recent years, studies have illuminated these wildlife health risks. Luckily there are affordable and effective lead-free options for many popular rifle, shotgun, and muzzleloader calibers/gauges.
Making a choice to use lead-free ammunition for big game hunting is another way we as hunters can continue to support wildlife, ensure effective harvests, and protect the future of hunting by turning a conservation challenge into an opportunity to demonstrate our conservation leadership and stewardship.
For more information on lead-free hunting ammunition, as well as tips for finding, testing, and selecting the correct grain and bullet for your next hunt, consider taking the free online Modern Hunting Ammunition class on learnhunting.org. To start, create an account, and then navigate to the Online Courses section.
If you aren't ready or able to make the switch, there's still things you can do to keep lead out of the food web. Read on for best management practices to minimize impact to scavenging wildlife even if you're using lead ammunition.
|
