HSUS Looks To Expand California Lead Shot Ban Nationwide

[Limbhanger]

The HSUS Calls for Nationwide Ban on Lead Shot after Endangered Condor Poisonings
June 5, 2008


WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States today urged a nationwide ban on lead-shot ammunition after the lead poisoning of seven critically endangered California condors. One of the seven birds has died, vivid evidence that this ammo keeps on killing long after it leaves the gun barrel.
“Like asbestos, lead shot is a lethal and cruel pollutant that has no place in our modern society,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “Discharging countless tons of lead-shot ammunition and dispersing it in open space areas throughout the nation is a prescription for slow agonizing deaths for wildlife, particularly for scavengers such as condors who feed on animals killed by lead shot and are then poisoned themselves. It's time for policymakers to stand up to the extremist voices within the hunting lobby and demand that hunters use nontoxic shot.”
The seven poisoned condors account for one-fifth of the entire Southern California population of these majestic creatures, who have been reintroduced into the wild at considerable expense and effort. California enacted a law to forbid the use of lead shot, and even lead bullets, in condor territory beginning in July 1 — too late for these birds.
Many hunters support the use of nontoxic alternative shot, and voluntary programs in some areas have resulted in significant reductions in lead shot usage. Lead shot has been banned in waterfowl hunting in the U.S. since 1991. But some stubborn shooters, including lobbyists for the National Rifle Association, advocate lead shot on the flimsy grounds that it is “traditional” and “affordable.”
“Nontoxic shot is on the market and used by millions of hunters already. It demonstrates a callous disregard for wildlife to continue to put this poison into the environment when a superior alternative exists,” added Pacelle.
As the condor death and poisonings show, affordability is an NRA smoke screen, and nothing more. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on condor recovery efforts, and because of the needless harm to these birds, those tax dollars have been squandered as nothing more than campfire kindling for the fear-mongers of this radical organization.
Not just condors, but other scavengers feed from animal remains riddled with lead shot, passing this poison deeper and deeper into the wildlife food chain — and eventually into the human food chain as well. Several states have removed all donated game meat from the shelves of food banks because of lead contamination.

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[baltz526]

YES , this is a major sign of insanity running amuck in the halls of goverment.

[loper]

I notice that Wayne didn't offer to replace all existing lead ammunition in hunter's/shooters hands with non-toxic shot at the expense of his organization.

It'll be interesting to see what federal lands they go after with a lead ban; my money would be on big game hunting on federal refuges (such as the deer hunts on Umatilla).

Good work, Chad; I hadn't seen this particular piece before.

[rimrock]

A lead ban has been coming for a long time...I'm suprised it hasn't occurred already.

[ehunter]

Because of this they have got a number of programs for deer donations for feeding the poor banned because of the HSUS doctor who supported this. One state has reinstated it, after further research and 2 states are still waiting. There is not one documented case of a human getting led poison from eating meat. What about all the animals that our forefathers ate that were shot with lead. If the vension plan to feed the poor goes away it would really hurt a lot of food banks that are able to give that protein to needy people. I don't think the humane society is going to replace that no do they care who they hurt in the process to slow down hunting.

[baltz526]

here is what i see as the real lead poison problem. in california and the condor. gang murders being dumped in the desert. these condors are eating these corpses and eating the bullet fragments. digger rats, rabbits, pigs, coyotes, are being killed and left out to be consumed by the birds. these are the food sources being consumed by the birds, causing the lead poisoning. not big game animals, except in a very minor roll. less than the murder victims dumped by the gangs of southern california/arizona. where is the real problem?

[Myles]

"It's time for policymakers to stand up to the extremist voices.”

Now that's appropriate!

[CombinationLicense]

This is a WAY bigger issue than most people realize. Some of you might remember that I recently posted a notice about a seminar being held in Idaho on this issue? Well, here is the info again as well as the press release extrapolating the scenario to human ingestion via big game meat.

"CL"


31 Mar 08 - Conference to Examine Effects of Lead Exposure from Bullets

13 May 08 - Spent Lead Ammunition Photos

13 May 08 - Peregrine Fund Research Shows Lead Bullet Residues in Venison

04 Jun 08 - Conference Highlights Need to Inform Public About Dangers of Lead Contamination from Ammunition

[Rank Amateur]

Dang! I just bought 1250 rounds of lead core bullets! Looks like we might have to change fellows. It would be interesting to have hunters versus non-hunters checked for lead levels. If there is a merit to the findings (it does make sense) we should be able to see a difference, that is unless humans are getting a lot of lead from other sources.

[ehunter]

Rank you hit on the head there is so many different sources and there is no definite proof that there is enough lead from a processed animal to make a difference. Let me remind every one hunters have been using lead bullets for a 100 years and to date there has never been a lead confirmed death other than getting shot. I personally cut out the blood shot meat so not sure where else I am getting it from. This is just another fear tactic to try to make people fear hunting. l
Lead bullets probably cause global warming too.

The guy behind this is a huge supporter of HSUS so his reporting's are even suspect at least one state threw out his report. Even the bios in CA didn't agree with his report but they were shot down.

Ok maybe I have been feeling a little heavy lately must have been that venison that I ate. That low fat, grass fed healthy animal I must have got a pound of lead out those back straps. Gees I better not eat any more venison or we will all have to go to bow hunting grin! If this had come from any where else I would be a little more concerned


From the violence policy center an anti gun sight now we all know why violent criminals use guns they have lead poison talk about hysteria



Lead Poisoning and Criminal Behavior. Perhaps the most ironic and problematic concern of lead poisoning in the context of firearms is a growing body of evidence that lead poisoning, particularly in childhood, may be a cause of violent criminal behavior in some individuals.11 The point of this body of evidence is not that every person exposed to lead becomes a violent criminal, any more than every smoker contracts lung cancer. Rather it is that there is a scientifically demonstrable relationship between lead poisoning and criminal behavior, just as there is between smoking and lung cancer.12
For example, Dr. Deborah Denno, a sociologist and professor at Fordham Law School, conducted a comprehensive, landmark study of the relationship between lead and violence among young boys.13 "Lead had its own independent effect on delinquency and adult criminality, separate from IQ," said Dr. Denno.14
Dr. Herbert L. Needleman, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, conducted another study of 301 boys in public school and reached similar findings.15 Dr. Needleman explained the connection this way:

I'm not saying that lead exposure is the cause of delinquency. (but let's scare you) It is a cause and one with the biggest handle to prevention. Lead is a brain poison that interferes with the ability to restrain impulses. It's a life experience which gets into biology and increases a child's risk for doing bad things.16

Even if the poisoning and original misbehavior may happen in childhood, its effects often continue into adulthood.17 Indeed, at least one researcher has suggested that lead poisoning may have contributed to James Huberty's 1984 shooting rampage at a McDonald's restaurant in California, and linked Huberty's high lead levels in his blood to his handling guns and visiting shooting ranges.18 Clearly, there is substantial cause to conduct further research into links between lead poisoning associated with firearms and rampage killings.

Originally Posted by Rank Amateur

Dang! I just bought 1250 rounds of lead core bullets! Looks like we might have to change fellows. It would be interesting to have hunters versus non-hunters checked for lead levels. If there is a merit to the findings (it does make sense) we should be able to see a difference, that is unless humans are getting a lot of lead from other sources.

[Dave Smith]

Why would the HSUS be concerned about a "slow, agonizing death" in condors, when they seem to be striving towards it with game animals by eliminating regulated hunting and modern management practices?
If California has a problem with management of one of it's native species, do they think that it is appropriate to ban lead shot in all the other states? The other states seem to be doing just fine and last I checked, there weren't alot of California Condors in Florida.