Taking a Break From it All

Thanks, Holly. Appreciate the vote of confidence.

As to the city as ecosystem and source of humor, that’s exactly the approach one of my favorite authors, Carl Hiaasen took, turning South Florida’s wierdness into some great stories. I find a lot of it humorous, in a sad and cynical way, but most of it annoys me. It’s not natural.

Hi Nico,

First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that when these programs say hunters leave carcasses, it’s not the entire animal… it’s the remains after the animal has been field dressed (“gutted”).

Secondly, I think most of us do take it seriously. Most hunters would happily change their practices if it were realistic and practicable. Unfortunately, non-lead ammo simply doesn’t exist for every caliber of hunting rifle. It’s also about twice as expensive as lead, which doesn’t sound like a big deal until we take into account that there are a lot of hunters out there who can barely afford the price of a single box per season. Regulations that segregate participants based solely on economic status aren’t acceptable in any arena.

There are other solutions besides simply phasing out all lead, and that’s what I (and a few others) are calling for. Let’s work on better solutions that are equitable as well as effective. Blanket bans, like the one in CA create unnecessary friction and distrust in a community (hunters and gun owners) who already feel the pressure of a society that doesn’t understand what we do or why we do it. They’re going to push back, often illogically, simply because they see anti-hunting/anti-gun agenda behind this kind of effort… and that’s a huge obstacle to overcome.

I’m in a rush to get out of here right now, so I may notbe making the best sense right now… but if you want to get a better feel for where I am on this issue, you’ll need to take some time to review the Lead Ban Chronicles category for more info.

Hi Nico,

I think your basic point is sound enough. We don’t (technically) HAVE to hunt, so if you only look at things only from that level, it’s a no brainer that the needs of the wildlife and environment should outweigh the wants of people. That’s why there are restrictions on off-roading in sensitive areas and similar things.

But even keeping it at that simple level (which is an extreme over-simplification of a complex issue), it’s difficult to show a significant level of threat or damage to the wildlife or environment as a result of the use of lead ammo. Bald Eagles, for example, have come back in droves in many parts of the country. It’s becoming fairly common to see them here in CA. There is certainly no dearth of vultures anywhere in the country, and there is no indication of a change there. Yes, there is a plausible link to some lead poisoning in carrion eaters… but the link is mild and, with the (arguable)exception of the condor, it’s not showing a significant negative impact. Remember, we’ve been hunting and shooting with lead for several centuries in this country. This is not a new phenomenon.

We have to keep things in perspective.

When it comes to environmental stewardship, recreational hunters contribute much more than we take away. That’s probably the biggest reason the sport has survived the last couple of decades of assaults by those who would relegate it to the dustbins of antiquity. The lead issue is a new one for all of us, and bears a lot more investigation before new and stringent regulation is put in place… particularly if that regulation is going to price some hunters out of the sport.

There are many, many more considerations to this issue than simply the cost of the bullets, but I hesitate to reiterate them all here, when they’ve been covered so much in other posts and discussions.

Hi Nico,

In short, I think the research on lead ammo should continue, and that appropriate (key word here… appropriate) action should be taken based on substantiated, quantifiable results. There will be resistance, but it will not be as forceful as it is when regulations are based on unsubstantiated allegations.

I just want to reiterate that, while it is plausible that lead is causing some issues for carrion birds, the populations are increasing or stable (with the obvious exception of the condor).

In a perfect world, we’d eliminate all collateral impacts of our human behavior of course, but we’re far short of perfection. When it comes to making positive impacts, asking hunters to give up lead ammo to protect carrion birds from lead poisoning is about as valid as spitting in a cup and calling it water conservation.

Unless a specific and significant negative impact is proven, legislated lead ammo bans are not justified. The better approach is to educate hunters, offer reasonable and cost-effective alternatives, and encourage voluntary adoption of non-lead ammo. If more information about lead ammo comes to light, you will see an ongoing shift to non-lead bullets. This is happening now.

To your specific question, price difference between lead and non-lead is generally double or higher. For example, a box of basic 30-06 ammo will run about $16, versus a box of lead-free that will cost about $39. The difference goes significantly higher for less common calibers.

Nico, I’m glad you’re finding the blog informational.

As it is, I don’t know that you and I are that far apart on a philosophical level. Most of the argument I offered is speaking for the hunters who are resistant to switching to non-lead ammo. Personally, I switched early on for the most part (I still test ammo for review, and non-lead ammo is still not available for all of my rifles), because I saw it to be the “right thing to do”, and because I saw the writing on the wall.

I still don’t agree with the legislated lead ban, but the idea that initiated it is sound enough. I do, deeply, believe that hunters should be proactively involved in efforts to preserve all wildlife and habitat…. not just the parts we want to shoot. Fortunately, I’m not alone in this at all.

I hope you’ll hang around and check in when you can. We’re (hunters) not all perfect, or even close, but I think many non-hunters have been sold a false image of what we are really all about.