Don't they also take your gun, boat and truck these days? Just don't mess with my dog.

I knew that as soon as steel shot came into being that the rest would follow. One can never, ever compromise with a liberal. I believe that they want to make it as difficult as possible for shooters and hunters, since they do neither it is no skin off of their noses, and if they can find a way to take our guns, their ammo and close all hunting they will.

Gosh darn those people anyway. (phrasology ammended by author for those with tender ears)

Resurfacing this thread, as NY Times once again publishes how terrible lead is for us hunters.

Citing risks to birds and to human health, roughly 100 environmental groups formally asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency this week to ban or at least impose limits on lead in the manufacturing of bullets and shotgun pellets for hunting or recreation. The use of such ammo by hunters puts about 3,000 tons of lead into the environment annually and causes the death of 20 million birds each year from lead poisoning, said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate at one of the groups, the Center for Biological Diversity. Consumption of meat from animals that are shot with lead bullets also contributes unacceptable levels of the metal into people’s diets, Mr. Miller said in a phone interview. The ban sought by environmental groups would not apply to ammunition used by law enforcement and the military. In addition to bullets and pellets used in hunting and recreational activity like range shooting, the petition seeks to limit the use of the metal in fishing tackle and weights... (New York Times -- March 15, 2012)

I am now interested to find who counted 20 million lead poisoned birds, or is that bagged birds - probably not as I think the correct term in that case is "acute lead poisoning".


3000 tons of lead is approximately 15 billion #5 lead pellets.

1 oz of #5 shot is 157 pellets SOURCE

3000 tons is 3000T x2000 lbs/T = 6000000 pounds which is 6000000 lbs X 16 oz/lb = 96000000 ounces X 157 pellets/oz = 15,072,000,000 That is the equivalent of #5 pellets of lead (sort of an average pellet size, all things considered)

Lets say there is no hunting anywhere but USA

USA land/water area = 3794083 square miles

The annual deposit of pellets is 3972.5 pellets/square mile

One square mile is 27 878 400 square feet.

Anuual deposit of pellets is now .000014 pellets / square foot

So to even find one #5 lead pellet one has to examine 140,000 square feet of land/water or in another measure 3.2 acres

(And hey, I assumed every pellet fell out of the sky and hit ground/water. I'm not going to try to build in a hit the bird ratio - get over it you all missed, well okay I will grant that the honorable souls who got their doubles pins did hit their birds)

So, yeah anyone can play with numbers 3000 tons of lead sounds enormous doesn't it. 1 pellet in 3.2 acres doesn't quite sound the same. And then of course the CDC says lead shot game is not a threat and North Dakota once again invited hunters to donate game meat for the hungry.


Who can end the BS??

It's tired old flawed study (if you can call it that) and it just keeps surfacing. Here is an academic's refutation for those interested in this subject. The oft' quoted study is said to be a fabrication. As the lie circulates more and more, it begins to take on the aura of truth. Not bad for BS.

CLICK and use as reference for whenever the subject comes up. Print, Pocket and Pull out when needed.

Yes, this crap has more traction that I would have ever thought it could have! Just last week there were two talking heads on Fox News, one con and one pro arguing this very topic. I have seen this on the web and have not given it much consideration, other than to think how ridiculous it is but now its discussed on Fox and in the NY Times.

Let's get them concerned about automotive batteries instead.

Approx 250,000,000 automobiles wander the land of the free. Each one needs a LEAD battery. Let's say 10% need a new battery every year.
Okay, that would be 25,000,000 batteries. Each battery conservatively weighs a whole helluva lot, especially trying to carry one to your dead car at minus 40 degrees.

Here's a bit of info on the amount of lead from automotive batteries, including an estimate of what hits the trash and is not recycled CLICK

So, just a minute here. 3,000 Tons of huntin' lead but 44,000 Tons of battery lead into the environment (ie not recycled). I'm almost willing to bet those folks making their pitch to the EPA drove or were driven in an automobile to make the presentation. But..... but.......... ah forget it.

Ever wonder how many folks ACTUALLY die from lead poisoning?

Abstract

This study was conducted to describe trends in US lead poisoning-related deaths between 1979 and 1998. The predictive value of relevant ICD-9 codes was also evaluated. Multiple cause-of-death files were searched for records containing relevant ICD-9 codes, and underlying causes and demographic characteristics were assessed. For 1979-1988, death certificates were reviewed; lead source information was abstracted and accuracy of coding was determined. An estimated 200 lead poisoning-related deaths occurred from 1979 to 1998. Most were among males (74%), Blacks (67%), adults of age >/=45 years (76%), and Southerners (70%). The death rate was significantly lower in more recent years. An alcohol-related code was a contributing cause for 28% of adults. Only three of nine ICD-9 codes for lead poisoning were highly predictive of lead poisoning-related deaths. In conclusion, lead poisoning-related death rates have dropped dramatically since earlier decades and are continuing to decline. However, the findings imply that moonshine ingestion remains a source of high-dose lead exposure in adults.SOURCE

Whoa...... just a minute Moonshine and southerners?????? Say it isn't so.

Anyway, if it really is 200/year that is the equivalent of about 7 days worth of drunk drivers predation.
Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes.SOURCE

There's so much to be worried about. I'll quit using lead sinkers for the sake of the fish that always get away with them. I'll quit driving a motor vehicle. That will make it easy to quit using lead shot for pheasants but I still might try to walk to my favorite haunts and try the old salt on the rooster's tail trick to get me a few. And those, I'll eat raw so as not to add smoke to the environment.

Or.............I just realized the inate wisdom of http://s4.hubimg.com/u/3701883_f260.jpg "What, me worry"

Okay, I quit. CHARLIE and KYRA are after me for a hike in the country. I know I will drive. Dang, as much as I try to be a good citizen of this planet, I continue to fail.

Remember, the original justification for non-tox was lead ingestion by waterfowl, and the resulting deaths which resulted in areas like public lands which had a lot of lead in the marsh. Had NOTHING to do with human consumption of lead. Disappointing how this has morphed into a discussion about human consumption. Stay ever viglilant!! :cuss:

Prepare yourself boys, this will happen in the next 10 years. Anybody want to bet a case of whiskey it doesn't?

DLH

You're probably right Destry.

Here's a link on the subject

CLICK

Pretty sure this sentence will get lost by 2022.

Although this ecological risk assessment does not clearly define a significant risk of lead shot exposure to upland game birds, this issue merits continued scrutiny to protect our upland game bird and raptor resources.

Is that case of whiskey 6 or 12 bottles?

My gun club is located in the watershed for the water supply for the Baltimore Metro region. Bill Murphy is familiar with the property. We lease the property from the city of Baltimore. The fields border Loch Raven resevoir which is the impoundment of gadzillions of gallons of water for distribution to the aforementioned areas. We deposit tons of lead pellets into this environment and have it regularly mined and then have the water table environmentally tested for any leaching of good old Pb. Guess what? Club has been in existence since the early 1950's and they have yet to find any problem with Pb in the environment. Nothing, nada, nyet. Someone tell these Einsteins that Pb is inert- much like their brains and common sense. I own rental properties and have to have them tested for lead paint. Why, you ask? Because they the pinheads in the Govt. are worried that some little crumb cruncher will eat flaky paint chips and develop brain damage. I don't know about you but one of my favorite snacks when I was a kid after we ran out of Twinkies was to eat paint chips. You know, you really can't make this crap up. Kevin , I'm right there with you.

Lead was banned from use in paint since 1978. Has it been banned from Twinkies too?? They too are inert, right? I don't think a Twinkie would get flaky, so youngsters should not be at risk. I think you might be able to eat a Twinkie from 1978 with no ill effects. Probably still be moist. Do we really know what's in a Twinkie? Maybe they should be banned in case a ruffie should ingest a crumb of one and then be eaten by a large raptor. Could one get a government grant to study this further in order to protect our upland game bird and raptor resources? Can't be too careful when it comes to the risk posed by Twinkies.