Posted on 03/16/2009 8:38:26 AM PDT by george76
The National Park Service has set a goal of eliminating lead from fishing and hunting gear by 2010.
Acting Park Service director Dan Wenk announced the goal Wednesday in Washington. Fragments of lead bullets are suspected to contaminate scavenger birds, like ravens and eagles, and lead used as fishing weights could poison waterfowl and other species.
A firearms group was quick to condemn the action.
“The National Park Service’s decision is arbitrary, over-reactive and not based on science,” Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said in a statement. His group is a trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry.
“Studies show that traditional ammunition does not pose a health risk to humans, or wildlife populations as a whole,” he said.
The Park Service is grappling with another firearms issue — whether to allow parks visitors to carry concealed weapons as allowed by permit elsewhere. While the Bush administration implemented new rules allowing concealed weapons, the Obama team is reviewing those in a growing skirmish pitting Second Amendment advocates against conservationists.
In announcing the lead goal, Wenk said a ban would extend to rangers who put down wounded or injured animals.
Jackson Hole News&Guide Outdoors columnist Paul Bruun said he wouldn’t expect a drop in performance from bullets made from substitute metals. At issue will be convenience and cost.
Rifles need to be sighted according to a particular ammunition, and switching from lead to a substitute should include a session at a shooting range to ensure accuracy, he said. Those who load their own ammo also would be inconvenienced, he said.
“I think where you’re going to lose is going to be in your pocketbook,”
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonholenews.com ...
The wolves are wiping out the deer, elk and moose. They are turning to domestic livestock and making forays into cities in search of food. You'll need to watch your pets and your own safety as this progresses.
That is why you mix the copper with some tungsten (wolfram) to bump up the weight.
Iron coated tungsten shot travels even further, making your 16 shoot like a 12, and your 20 shoot like a 16.
And then, like the tax on pot, they can just refuse to sell the tax stamps, or even to print them up.
Enviromental nazis never used the word conservationist until recently. The definition of conservationist used to include farmers, loggers, hunters, & fisherman. Conservation means you use the natural resources wisely. Wise is something environnmentalists are not. Thus the need to start calling themselves conservationists.
Every time one of the nazis calls themselves a conservationist they need to be called on it.
Thanks for the ping George.
They’ve been trying to do this for a long time. There are those who would like to see fishing/hunting banned totally in parks.
The Park Service has only a small percentage of national parks open for hunting. The anti’s goals include closing all parks to these consumptive uses.
I knew all of those depleted uranium rounds I have been hoarding would come in handy some day.
“The definition of conservationist used to include farmers, loggers, hunters, & fisherman. Conservation means you use the natural resources wisely.”
true, and they are trying in various forms to ban farming, logging, hunting and fishing.
You NAILED IT Cold Heart. This needs to be repeated often:
“Enviromental nazis never used the word conservationist until recently. The definition of conservationist used to include farmers, loggers, hunters, & fisherman. Conservation means you use the natural resources wisely. Wise is something environnmentalists are not. Thus the need to start calling themselves conservationists.
Every time one of the nazis calls themselves a conservationist they need to be called on it.
I do a lot of fishing, and i fish salt water. Everything I use, almost, has lead. It sure would suck if they implement this in a year.
I got together with some friends, and we melted down hundreds of pounds of scrap lead into various lead-based fishing gear. Sinkers, weighted trebel hooks, “bucktails”, all kinds of stuff. I have about a 10 year supply. UGH!
Even if you did lose the lead, it’s nearly insoluble, so there is no real danger.
I fish rocky New England waters, and do lose a considerable amount of lead, especially going for blackfish. The lead levels in the water are not elevated, especially not from sportfishing.
Abosolutely, George!
Thanks for the post and ping.
No swimming, no picnicking, no flower picking, no walking on the grass no camping no fishing no fun you tax dollars at work.
Interesting. However, my main concern is rifles and pistols, not shotguns. Iron/tungsten would destroy a rifled barrel
Effectively, it eliminates any hunting of any kind.
Harmful to ducks? I never heard of divers that feed that deep.
As I understand it lead is heavier than dirt or mud. So what happens to the lead from shot, bullets or lures? It sinks out of sight within weeks if not days or hours when laying on the bottom.
Regulations for the purpose of control of people pure and simple.
Another draconian regulation based on "suspected" and "could".
Disgusting.
No proof required - just a regulatory agency with a woodie for power.
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.