Copper for Lead Bullet Exchanges

Isn't it usually steel? Surely copper is way too expensive. Also, copper mines are not too environmentally friendly so I've heard.

Pete

Peter Colverson
Communications Specialist
Pandion Systems Inc.
4603 NW 6th Street
Gainesville, FL 32609
(352) 372-4747
Fax: (352) 372-4714
Cell: (352) 359-1283
www.pandionsystems.com

Lindsay,

I don't know anything specific about ammo exchanges, but I do know that Copper is a pollutant of concern in the watershed I work in (Santa Clara Basin, the southern tip of San Francisco Bay), and that copper at very low levels in the water can impact fish. I don't know if there's another metal that ammo can be made of that won't cause problems, but you may want to research it. I remember reading a few years back about hunters in Southern California being asked or outright required to use Bismuth shot because of elevated metals levels in endangered California Condors. You might google that and see what you get. Worth a shot (pardon the pun).

Best of luck!
Mary Morse

Associate
Environmental Services Specialist
City of San Jose
Watershed Protection
170 W. San Carlos Street,
San Jose CA 95113
phone: 408-277-2767
fax 408-277-5775

Please visit HawkWatch International's Wildlife Without Lead website. You'll see that we provide a collection of resources and information about alternatives to lead ammuntion, as well as fishing tackle. Go to www.hawkwatch.org and you'll see the Wildlife Without Lead link under the "Education Programs" tab.

Thank you!
Emilie

HawkWatch International
Emilie Turner
Membership & Public Relations Coordinator
[email protected]
1800 S. West Temple, Ste
226 Salt Lake City, UT 84115
tel: 1-801-484-6808 x 101
fax: 1-801-484-6810

There are a number of non-toxic alternatives to lead shot -- here's a link to a 1995 paper from Environment Canada's website. http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publications/AbstractTemplate.cfm?lang=e&id= 312 Effective September 1, 1999, the use of lead shot was banned nationally for migratory game bird hunting except when hunting Woodcock. We have been running a number of programs in Severn Sound over the years and still run a sinker & jig exchange within the watershed. I wouldn't recommend a lead shot exchange -- once we did a sinker and jig exchange at a day camp and a grandfather sent his grandson to camp with a paper bag of live shells.... we brought them to the police station -- very carefully!

Michele Locke,

Communications Officer
Severn Sound Environmental Association
67 Fourth Street Midland, ON L4R 3S9
Telephone: 705.527.5166
Fax: 705.527.5167
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.severnsound.ca
Source Water Protection
Website: www.ourwatershed.ca

Try Googling Lead shot ban Bool Lagoon, or use the link lead.org.au/lanv4n3/lanv4n3-12.html Banning the use of environmentally undesirable materials is the most effective way of dealing with the problem, where there is a simple and cost-effective alternative. South Australia banned use of lead shot at Bool Lagoon Reserve in 1987, and the ban on lead shot was extended to all Game Reserves in South Australia in 1992. Shooters can use steel or bismuth.

John Rolls

Senior Project Officer
Infrastructure and Business Division
Department of Water
Land and Biodiversity Conservation (DWLBC)
Level 7, 108 King William Street,
Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 2834,
Adelaide SA 5001
Tel: 08 8204 8240
email: [email protected]