Tejon Lead ban begins 2008?

[MJB]

I just received a letter from Tejon that said the lead ban will begin on 1/1/2008......well that saves the upland season along with deer season of course. Damn I was hoping for less hunters due to the lead ban.

Oh by the way, prices went up, pigs are (including archery) 450.00.

I'm betting this is the last year JHO pig hunt will be 400.00....So sign up now!!

 

[Speckmisser]

Yupp, the lead ban there starts with the 2008 hunting seasons... so next year's PORs will be unleaded or archery.

There's still a possibility that the State will be sued and be forced to go unleaded prior to 2008. If that happens, it will include Tejon Ranch.

 

[brknarrow]

you guys should boycott tejon. fat chance of that huh?

 

[Speckmisser]

Why? I don't really have a problem with the lead ban.

But I've made that clear already.

 

[augnmike]

Speck I guess I missed your post on not minding the lead ban. Maybe I am making too big a deal out of it but I joined Tejon on the family pass and my sons and I shoot a lot of squirrels there with .17 HMR and .204's. I can't imagine doing that with non tox it would cost a damn fortune. I won't be joining next year. If I was only shooting pigs or deer and of course non tox shotgun shells for upland then I wouldn't mind it either, although I think it's a bunch of BS anti stuff and not designed to save the beloved condor.

 

[Speckmisser]

Aug,

A couple of things.

First of all, I don't buy into the condor thing so much, but they're not the only critters impacted by lead. We don't hear much about the others because they're not endangered. Nobody's doing autopsies on dead buzzards, ravens, or hawks. If they did, I'd expect you'd find lots of lead there too. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

Second of all, Tejon is making a business decision for a lot of reasons. Right or wrong, it's their business and they're aware of the fallout..almost certainly including the loss of "Family Pass" members like yourself. I think it's a shame, but it's their decision. You should do what you feel you need to do, and if that means not renewing next year then there's no fault on you.

Personally, I can live with it and I will still hog hunt there. Folks who don't hunt there anyway, but like to complain about their business decisions, are welcome to "boycott" all they want.

Finally, I'm not buying into the suggestion that this is a plot by the antis. Maybe I'm just naive. It's happened before.

But we know how bad lead is. It's created toxic sites out of gun ranges. It was proven to poison waterfowl and other birds, which is why it was banned from waterfowl hunting. There's some evidence that it's impacting human health in subsistence hunting cultures too.

On a perfectly logical level, it actually makes more sense to ban lead rimfire ammo than it does to ban centerfire ammo. I don't know anyone who collects and disposes of the carcasses of ground squirrels or coyotes. They're left to lie where the carrion eaters will clean them up.

Of course, the problem with that is that there aren't reasonable alternatives to lead rimfires. That's why the State isn't planning to include rimfire ammo in the ban...even though that would make the most sense from an environmental perspective. Tejon is including it (for now) because it does make sense and because they're already in dutch with the condor lovers.

Anyway... point is, I'd like to see more time for the ammo makers to provide lead-free alternatives, but the fact is that it's not likely to happen without a catalyst. This condor thing may be just that.

As has been pointed out, despite the screaming of the naysayers, the lead ban for waterfowl did not spell the end of waterfowl hunting. The folks who said they'd be priced out are still hunting, and new (more expensive) lead alternatives are still hitting the market...and they're selling.

When the waterfowl lead ban came down the pipe, by the way, a lot of hunters were saying the same thing you folks are saying now...that it's all some kind of evil plot by the anti-hunters and gun-grabbers.

The problem is, too many hunters are free to hide under the convenient label of "Conservationists". We managed to get that reputation, and as long it doesn't really require any sacrifice on our part we're happy to revel in it. But, as soon as it starts to look like our activities are causing a problem, whether it's 4wheelers in the wilderness or lead in the food chain, we start to scream that we're being targeted and we fight the change tooth and nail.

Aug, I'm sorry for you and others who are going to lose a great spot like Tejon. That really is a damned shame. Do what you think you need to in response, whether it's boycott, send nasty letters, or challenge the whole thing in court.