[log in to unmask]"
type="cite">
As a proud tree hugger, I'm happy to share the news that our Dems
platform committee approved (with only one dissenting vote) a
resolution to ban lead in all ammunition and fishing tackle with
the IDNR designated to disseminate educational material concerning
the toxcicity of lead and of non-lead alternatives.
And as for the lead ammo to be used in dove hunting...well,
the way our dove hunting law was railroaded through at the last
minute tagged onto an unrelated bill was not what the majority
of Iowans wanted. Will be interesting to see how many county
conventions pass a resolution this year to repeal the Iowa dove
hunting law.
As a hunter who shoots wildlife with a camera instead of to
kill, I can only say that whatever (if any) difficulties in
accuracy in using non-lead ammo that arise how do we know it's
not the lack of skill on the part of the hunter rather than the
non-lead ammo? Canada geese and sandhill cranes are a couple of
grazers in areas where doves and pheasants and quail a likely to
be shot at and can pick up the wayward pellets as possible seeds
though I know of no controlled studies on this scenario.
Lead is a known toxin and has been banned from use in paint
and gasoline. It has been shown in several wildlife studies to
be present in many species of scavengers, usually to their
demise unless found early on. We do know that hundreds
(possibly thousands) of bald eagles all over the country get
poisoned with lead from ammunition or fishing tackle every year
due to their ingesting it in animals they eat.
It continually defies reasoning to me how the vast majority
of Iowans--hunters, birders, farmers, as well as tree
huggers--claim to be, or try to be good stewards of our natural
resources and then so many fight measures toot-and-nail to that
end.
Susan West
Eagles eat fishing tackle?