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MORE NON-LEAD AMMO, FGC DELAYS DECISION -- matthews column -- 18apr07
Fish and Game Commission delays decision on banning lead big game ammunition
By JIM MATTHEWS Outdoor News Service
The Fish and Game Commission delayed its decision on whether or not to ban lead big game hunting ammunition as a means of protecting endangered California condors and other wildlife that feeds on the remains of hunter-shot game left in the field.
The move makes it less likely that a ban on lead ammunition would go into effect for this years hunting seasons, but it doesnt rule out that possibility.
At its meeting last Friday in Bodega Bay, the Commission asked the Department of Fish and Game to prepare a report addressing a wide variety of concerns brought up by both supporters and opponents of the proposed lead ammunition ban. This report will be presented to the Commission during its early May meeting, and a final decision on a lead bullet ban is unlikely until June.
At its Feb. 2 meeting in Monterey, the Commission voted unanimously to serve notice of its intent to amend the hunting regulations for a three-year period (2007-2010) to include the ban, and the hunting regulations will be adopted in a teleconference meeting the end of this month. However, the lead ammunition ban was removed from this triennial hunting regulation adoption process.
The Department of Fish and Games hunting application booklets and hunting regulations for this fall, which have to be printed and issued according to set time frame, will not have any final information on the proposed ban on lead big game ammunition in the method of take portion of the regulations. This adds a layer of difficulty for the Commission should it decide it wants to adopt a lead ban for this fall because there would be inadequate time to inform the hunting public about the change. It would be more likely the Commission would merely adopt any change for the 2008-09 hunting seasons.
This, however, brings up the aura of a lawsuit to force the Commission to enact the lead ban for this fall to protect condors. There is already a pending lawsuit by a coalition of conservation groups trying to force the Commission to act. If brought before a judge, it is conceivable there could be a temporary restraining order issued that -- in the worse case scenario -- could close big game hunting in condor range.
Knowing that is a possibility, the Commission might opt to ban lead big game hunting ammunition for this fall and jump through the hoops needed to alert the public to the changes.
The report being prepared by the DFG will look at issues raised in the public comment process, including expanding the ban to include historic and future condor range, the enforceability of the ban, the availability of alternative ammunition, the status and effectiveness of voluntary efforts to educate hunters, and a host of other issues that were not adequately addressed in the original proposal. While its clear the Commissioners believe the science is compelling on the dangers of lead big game ammunition, they felt there were a lot of questions still unanswered.
The proposed ban is primarily intended to protect California condors. The big vultures frequently feed on carcasses and gut piles of game left in the field by hunters. Scientists have documented that this carrion is usually laced with small lead bullet fragments -- more than enough to have serious health impacts on the condors that feed on the carcass or gut pile. Since 1997, five condors have died from lead poisoning, and an additional 26 condors suspected of being poisoned by bullet fragments have received treatment to reduce toxic lead levels. Virtually all of the condors in the wild have elevated levels of lead in their systems.
If the Commission does adopt a lead bullet ban, it would likely apply only to centerfire cartridge bullets, muzzeloading bullets, shotgun slugs or buckshot used for big game hunting. The current proposal does not include shotgun ammunition with small shot used for bird hunting or rimfire ammunition used for small game and varmint hunting.
NOSLER-WINCHESTER ANNOUNCE NON-LEAD BULLET:
Since October of last year, Nosler and Winchester have jointly been working on a new non-lead big game hunting bullet. The development process was accelerated because of Californias proposed lead bullet ban, and the new E-Tip bullet was announced late last week at the National Rifle Associations convention.
Winchester expects to have loaded ammunition available in its Supreme line for this fall, but the loadings will all be designed around a single, 180-grain E-Tip bullet loaded in .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .300 Winchester Short Magnum rounds.
The new bullet is made from gilding metal, a copper alloy made with 95 percent copper and five percent zinc, that is slightly softer than all-copper bullets like the Triple Shock X-Bullets made by Barnes.
Should the California Fish and Game Commission ban lead big game hunting bullets in condor range, the new Nosler-Winchester product increases the number of alternative hunting bullets available to hunters. Currently, Barnes all-copper, non-lead bullets are available in factory ammunition from Federal and Weatherby in a wide variety of different cartridges.
While Winchester-Nosler did not have a timeframe for new product introductions, company spokespeople thought that .270 and 7mm E-Tip bullets and ammunition would likely be available within a year. Winchester also has a new non-lead shotgun slug (XP3 Supreme loading) that will also be available this fall. This is a copper jacketed, tin core bullet.
Fish and Game Commission delays decision on banning lead big game ammunition
By JIM MATTHEWS Outdoor News Service
The Fish and Game Commission delayed its decision on whether or not to ban lead big game hunting ammunition as a means of protecting endangered California condors and other wildlife that feeds on the remains of hunter-shot game left in the field.
The move makes it less likely that a ban on lead ammunition would go into effect for this years hunting seasons, but it doesnt rule out that possibility.
At its meeting last Friday in Bodega Bay, the Commission asked the Department of Fish and Game to prepare a report addressing a wide variety of concerns brought up by both supporters and opponents of the proposed lead ammunition ban. This report will be presented to the Commission during its early May meeting, and a final decision on a lead bullet ban is unlikely until June.
At its Feb. 2 meeting in Monterey, the Commission voted unanimously to serve notice of its intent to amend the hunting regulations for a three-year period (2007-2010) to include the ban, and the hunting regulations will be adopted in a teleconference meeting the end of this month. However, the lead ammunition ban was removed from this triennial hunting regulation adoption process.
The Department of Fish and Games hunting application booklets and hunting regulations for this fall, which have to be printed and issued according to set time frame, will not have any final information on the proposed ban on lead big game ammunition in the method of take portion of the regulations. This adds a layer of difficulty for the Commission should it decide it wants to adopt a lead ban for this fall because there would be inadequate time to inform the hunting public about the change. It would be more likely the Commission would merely adopt any change for the 2008-09 hunting seasons.
This, however, brings up the aura of a lawsuit to force the Commission to enact the lead ban for this fall to protect condors. There is already a pending lawsuit by a coalition of conservation groups trying to force the Commission to act. If brought before a judge, it is conceivable there could be a temporary restraining order issued that -- in the worse case scenario -- could close big game hunting in condor range.
Knowing that is a possibility, the Commission might opt to ban lead big game hunting ammunition for this fall and jump through the hoops needed to alert the public to the changes.
The report being prepared by the DFG will look at issues raised in the public comment process, including expanding the ban to include historic and future condor range, the enforceability of the ban, the availability of alternative ammunition, the status and effectiveness of voluntary efforts to educate hunters, and a host of other issues that were not adequately addressed in the original proposal. While its clear the Commissioners believe the science is compelling on the dangers of lead big game ammunition, they felt there were a lot of questions still unanswered.
The proposed ban is primarily intended to protect California condors. The big vultures frequently feed on carcasses and gut piles of game left in the field by hunters. Scientists have documented that this carrion is usually laced with small lead bullet fragments -- more than enough to have serious health impacts on the condors that feed on the carcass or gut pile. Since 1997, five condors have died from lead poisoning, and an additional 26 condors suspected of being poisoned by bullet fragments have received treatment to reduce toxic lead levels. Virtually all of the condors in the wild have elevated levels of lead in their systems.
If the Commission does adopt a lead bullet ban, it would likely apply only to centerfire cartridge bullets, muzzeloading bullets, shotgun slugs or buckshot used for big game hunting. The current proposal does not include shotgun ammunition with small shot used for bird hunting or rimfire ammunition used for small game and varmint hunting.
NOSLER-WINCHESTER ANNOUNCE NON-LEAD BULLET:
Since October of last year, Nosler and Winchester have jointly been working on a new non-lead big game hunting bullet. The development process was accelerated because of Californias proposed lead bullet ban, and the new E-Tip bullet was announced late last week at the National Rifle Associations convention.
Winchester expects to have loaded ammunition available in its Supreme line for this fall, but the loadings will all be designed around a single, 180-grain E-Tip bullet loaded in .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .300 Winchester Short Magnum rounds.
The new bullet is made from gilding metal, a copper alloy made with 95 percent copper and five percent zinc, that is slightly softer than all-copper bullets like the Triple Shock X-Bullets made by Barnes.
Should the California Fish and Game Commission ban lead big game hunting bullets in condor range, the new Nosler-Winchester product increases the number of alternative hunting bullets available to hunters. Currently, Barnes all-copper, non-lead bullets are available in factory ammunition from Federal and Weatherby in a wide variety of different cartridges.
While Winchester-Nosler did not have a timeframe for new product introductions, company spokespeople thought that .270 and 7mm E-Tip bullets and ammunition would likely be available within a year. Winchester also has a new non-lead shotgun slug (XP3 Supreme loading) that will also be available this fall. This is a copper jacketed, tin core bullet.
