That was the case here in CA. After the original lead ban went into effect, the game wardens reported 3000 hunter-warden contacts yeilded 99.97% compliance with the law (just 3 hunters using lead), and it zero effect on the lead poisoning rate. Just before the final 3 year study on effectiveness of the ban came out, Perigrine, CBD and HSUS pushed a statewide ban and got it passed. The final study became moot, but if I recall, it show no impact on the poisoning.
The method I've witnessed in the lead-free drive is to change the reasons for the ban, a moving target, if you will. First it was for big game only, because the condors only eat large mammal gut piles. Then it was small game after awhile. Then it was " it only takes one bullet to poison family groups" and on to "the condor range is expanding, we need to go statewide"
Then I began to see the same people and orginzations pop up trying the same thing in other states. I saw the exact same x-rays used to panic people in ND, pushed by the same dermatoligist from the Peregrine falcon fund. ND was smart, they got CDC to look into it.
Now if you look at the USA today article above and then the response
It's a moving target, keep expanding the ban, thats the only answer.... when you know what to look for, the pattern of these organzations are the same, from the same playbook.
The fact is, the birds eat a ton of microtrash. They have to be taught not to fly into power lines, not to eat spilled antifreeze etc. etc. They're sporting a number badge, some GPS, and they get captured and tested periodically. I read a report from Audobon (I think) that broke down the costs. It was something like 40-50 $k per bird, per year. Funding comes from private, state and federal funds. Audubon called the condor program "little more than an outdoor petting zoo."
I can't count how many deer I've lost after switching to lead-free. It works differently, it impacts differently, it's more finicky to use and reload....and its much more expensive, and there's not much of it available. E-tips are currently not in production, but slated for a production run sometime this year,according to Winchester. Wait till CA goes totally lead free in July, supplies of lead-free will be non-existent.
I certainly can't afford to shoot, say 100 of them, at range session. Not at $2 a shot.
