Posted on 02/10/2009 5:37:15 PM PST by SJackson
Lead shot from firearms and lead sinkers have been a mainstay of hunting and fishing for generations, but a growing body of research and anecdotal accounts are raising health questions for humans and wildlife alike.
The most recent situation involves trumpeter swans in northern Wisconsin.
Since October, 10 trumpeter swans have been treated by the Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo. In a typical year, the center takes in only about two of the birds.
Three of the trumpeter swans have died and three are in critical condition. X-rays revealed all had metal shot or sinkers in their bodies. Blood tests showed elevated levels of lead.
Also, a report released in November shows lead residue from gunshots has been found in Wisconsin venison, after concerns were raised in other Upper Midwestern states.
In Wisconsin, 15% of 199 samples of commercially processed venison contained lead bullet fragments, according to the report by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services.
In hunter-processed venison, 8% of 98 samples contained lead fragments.
The study used modeling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and suggests there may be a risk of elevated lead levels in blood among children who consume venison.
One of the worst-case scenarios involves children 7 and younger who eat two meals a month of venison that contains higher amounts of lead. The children may have a 90% chance of lead levels in their blood rising above tolerable limits set by the Food and Drug Administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
ROLLING EYES.
ping
EEEEYEAH FOR THE CRITTERS
My goodness. How will we ever survive? /s
Frankly, it will soon be cheaper to make bullets out of compressed stacks of fivers.
Just finisshed processing a deer today as a matter of fact. Shot in the neck, nice clean wound channel. Trimmed out the bloody meat and started boning when in sound tissue. No problem.
Here we go.
That said, let's give a big hand to Barnes bullets and others who are trying to out think the frickin' gun grabbers.
150 years ago before factory farming all game was field killed with lead shot. Neither humans nor those species are extinct. Go figure.
I’m hanging on to all my lead.
Until....
Isn’t steel shot the norm? Most states chnged to lead shot years ago.
Isn’t steel shot the norm? Most states changed to steel shot years ago.
So lead shot is illegal for hunting migratory waterfowl so it is probably steel shot that is much less effective than lead. Steel shot maims lots of fowl but it is the law.
Sounds like total hogwash to me. They seem to be suggesting that lead dissolves into the tissue of the deer. I simply don’t believe this.
Lots of alternatives to lead.
Steel is the worst.
I like bismuth.
I’ve been reading articles in Field&Stream and Outdoor Life about this for years, and most of the experts quoted in these magazines state that this is much ado about nothing.
Now we’re talkin’...
My friend, “Dan” a retired LEO, always carried a S&W .45, and later a .40SW Glock, because he saw too many bad guys run away after being “stopped” by a 9mm...
The premise that lead ammo must be banned because of “lead toxicity” is merely a gun grabber’s stalking horse.
Note that while some birds die of ingested lead, the populations of said birds has increased. Even birds on the “endangered” list have increased to the extent that they were removed from that list because there are so many of them.
So many, despite “toxic lead ingestion”, eh? Looks like another gun-grabber/enviro-whack theory died under examination.
Why am I not surprised?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.