Non-lead bullets

[Calif. Hunter]

The Forest Service and the State Fish and Game Department are requesting that hunters begin using the non-lead bullets for hunting, or to bury the gutpiles from game taken. It seems (and this is not new) that some of the California Condors that have been released have died from lead poisoning from eating the gut piles with bullets in them.

I can see this becoming mandatory in the near future...

 

[RANDALL K]

You're probably right

 

[danr55]

That's getting scarey CH. I would hate to think that lead core bullets will be outlawed for hunting...

 

[Funter]

Danr55,

I wonder if the manufacturers will try something with bismuth first. Like they did with shot shells.

Tim

 

[memtb]

I'm not sure if this an honest fear or just another means by-which to "screw-with" the hunting population. Most hunting type bullts should exit the game animal or at the very least be up against the hide on the off-side. Knowing Kalifornia's stand on most gun related issues, I tend to think it is the latter reason!!-memtb

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-26-2003 12:25: Message edited by: memtb ]</font>

 

[Calif. Hunter]

We do see articles in the paper or local hunting rags that mention another condor dying, and the autopsy showing it died of lead poisoning. It would not surprise me to find that a lot of wounded animals from long range potshot Californians shooting at anything that they can see or even small game with shotgun pellets in them escape to die unrecovered and then get eaten by the buzzards and condors. Of course, no one cares about the turkey vultures...

Also, a lot of Californians hunt with .223s and 7.62x39s which may not be as likely to exit a deer as a larger round. Further, a lot of wounded hogs get away, perhaps to die, and a lot of coyote carcasses shot with explosive varmint bullets get left out for them.

So I think it is true that they are dying of lead poisoning - but it probably isn't from gutpiles.