I didn't plan to respond, but that was quite an intense attack on 
hunters.  Those who do not hunt are left to imagine what it might be 
like, who participates in hunting, what there motives are, how they 
conduct themselves.  I would guess their views come from literature of 
antihuting groups such as PETA (the group that said fish are just as 
intelligent as humans (oops, was that an attack?)).   I am certain I 
have met hundreds more hunters that the writer.  The attack describes 
none of those I met.  Yes, there are some hunters who litter and waste 
game, etc., but they are a tiny minority.   Wasting meat from killed 
game is a crime in every state.   It is just a propaganda lie to say 
because of a few, they are all like that.

It is not appropriate to attack the messenger.  They guy I talked to was 
directly involved in the lead and condor issue.  As a representative of 
the Peregrine Fund he was broadly knowledgeable about every issue of 
lead and wildlife.  The organization scours the scientific literature to 
find factual material to support their positions.  That is unlike the 
Sierra Club on the dove and steel shot issue where there is no 
evidence.  I have argued in a previous email that with the enormous 
amount of lead that has been used over several centuries in the hunting 
of pheasant, grouse, chukar, etc., that there would be known ill 
effects.  The effect would have to be obvious by now.  With my career in 
science, I would say that by now there would have been a student looking 
for a Master's or Doctoral thesis that would have looked for these 
effects.  Scientists are a curious lot.  Also, an antihunter with a bent 
for science should have been out there looking for evidence.  There were 
clearly known effects of lead on waterfowl, so lead shot was banned.  I 
argued in my previous email that this change was well accepted by 
hunters.  Someone said they knew some people angry about the change.  
Overall it was well accepted.  Like of lot  things, it took a few years 
to get the education out to all the hunters.  Anyone wants to know why 
there is a change in the way they do things.  Some politician said in 
Washington; "if you want to make people mad, just change something."

Again, I would like you all to consider the issue more broadly than just 
the effect of lead.  This issue is pointlessly antagonizing hunters and 
diminishing the credibility of the Sierra Club.  If the motive wasn't 
simply revenge over the dove hunt, why isn't the Sierra Club demanding 
the end of lead shot for pheasant?  Lanny Schwartz

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