MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210,

Common Ravens are one of the birds that are killed by lead in the environment from hunting ammunition. Common Raven by Richard Kretz

(Washington, D.C., August 8, 2011) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today urged hunters who are beginning to plan for the many different fall and winter hunting seasons – some of which start in less than a month, on or around September 1 – to protect the environment and wildlife by voluntarily switching to non-lead ammunition.

“Many hunters go through a great deal of planning for their hunting trips  — whether it is for game birds or bigger game like deer — and part of that planning is getting the right ammunition for the birds or game they are going after.  Those hunters who are concerned about the environment and who haven’t already done so could very easily start their switch now to non-lead, non-toxic bullets or shot that will only kill targeted wildlife,” said Dr. George Fenwick, President of ABC.

For example, some special planning might now be in order for Mourning Dove hunting in Iowa following the recent decision by the Iowa Natural Resources Commission to authorize the state’s first Mourning Dove hunting season since 1917, which will run from September 1 to November 9. In a progressive move aimed to provide long-term protection for ground feeding birds, including the Mourning Doves themselves, the regulators mandated that only non-lead ammunition be used.

“Hunters in Iowa should welcome this move to conserve their doves, millions of which are poisoned each year after having consumed spent lead shot that they mistake for grit.

“Hunters have historically strong outdoor ethics, and as more and more of them are learning how lead bullet fragments left in gut piles or lead shot scattered on the ground can poison and kill scores of animals, including Bald Eagles, California Condors, hawks, ravens and others, they are voluntarily switching in ever greater numbers to readily available, lead-free alternatives,” he said.

The gun lobby has offered only thin and contrived arguments against the switch to non-lead ammunition.  They have claimed that there is no science documenting the poisoning of wildlife, but with almost 500 published studies demonstrating the negative impacts of lead ammunition on millions of birds, that argument has been proven specious.

They have also tried to argue that non-lead bullets do not perform as well, but earlier this year top military officials released a statement saying that the army’s new, non-lead 5.56mm round represented the greatest advance in small arms ammunition in over a decade following stunning levels of tested performance for the bullet.

Non-lead ammunition can be more expensive, but claims by some that this is prohibitive for hunters have been shown to be vastly overstated.  For example, the cost of most PREMIUM lead and non-lead ammunition is now about the same according to Cabelas, one of Americas leading outdoor outfitters. According to user reviews on the company’s website, many hunters are so satisfied with the non-leaded ammunition that they say they will never go back to the old lead versions.

“Some lead-free ammunition still costs more, but we can expect the price to come down some as production increases to cope with higher demand. And when taken as a total percentage of the cost of going hunting – which includes permits, gas, sometimes lodging, and other supplies – the extra cost of non-toxic ammunition is very manageable,” said Fenwick.

Increasing demand for steel shot following a 1991 ban on using lead shot for waterfowl hunting has caused the price to drop to levels comparable to that of lead shot. The lead ban was implemented U.S.-wide by the federal government, and was prompted by studies that found that lead shot was poisoning and decimating waterfowl populations.

Additionally, calls for a move from leaded ammunition to lead-free have come from a variety of notable sources, including Paul Hansen, former Executive Director of the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the nation's oldest and most respected conservation organizations; from Ted Williams, a leading outdoor figure in the U.S. and Editor of Fly Rod and Reel Online; and in an editorial from the New York Times newspaper.

(Note to editors:  One way to determine hunting season start dates in your state is to insert into your browser search feature, the name of your state followed by the words “hunting season dates.” You will thusly pull up numerous sites that provide that information.)