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
On Jan 9, 2012, at 6:04 PM, Cindy Hildebrand wrote:
As a volunteer who worked on the lead-shot issue in Iowa for many hours over many months back in the 1980s, and went to a number of related hearings and meetings, I must respectfully disagree with the following statement: " Hunters quickly embraced this solution because it was good for waterfowl." Some hunters embraced it, but some hunters fought very hard against it. I'd bet that some others who worked on the issue remember that also.
Cindy
Cindy Hildebrand
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57439 250th St.
Ames, IA 50010
"Winter is not a season, it's an occupation." (Sinclair Lewis)