I began to read about this topic and discovered that even upland bird hunting in California is banned! Here is a summary, fall of 2019:
"The ban prohibits the use of lead projectiles and applies to all hunting (including public and private land), all wildlife (game birds, non-game birds and mammals) and all firearms (rifles, shotguns, pistols and muzzleloader) "in any gauge or caliber for the take of any legal species," according to the CDFW."
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/californias-full-lead-ammo-ban-begins-july-1/The use of lead ammunition will still be allowed for target shooting, as long as the ammo is being shot in an area where lead is not restricted otherwise. The ban also won't require nonlead ammunition for pellet guns or personal protection guns.
However, even those who are hunting for depredation purposes to dispatch wildlife destroying property or livestock will need to use lead-free ammo.
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Back when they banned lead shot for waterfowl hunting in 1991 I thought it was a mistake based on poor studies. IIRC there was a study a long time ago that blamed lead shot when it might have been avian cholera and avian botulism that actually caused the deaths.
In more recent times I have read that condors ARE dying from lead poisoning but I am still not convinced that most of our ducks and geese are dying due to lead poisoning. More inclined to believe in diseases killing them.
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There are plenty of states that ban fishing weights claiming that the common loon is affected. Wondering what the loon is doing to be affected to the level stated below..
Besides banning lead in rifles and shotguns in some places, there are quite a few states that ban lead fishing sinkers and jigs that weigh less than one ounce. They claim the lead is killing loons:
New Hampshire
Lead jigs and sinkers account for 48% of mortalities among adult loons, which is the largest single cause of
adult Common Loon mortalities in New Hampshire.
New York
In 2004, New York listed the Common Loon as a Species of Special Concern. It banned the sale of small
fishing sinkers because ingesting lead fishing tackle is one of the leading causes of death for adult Common
Loon and other wildlife in New York.
Maine
The adult Common Loon population in Maine is small. Maine concluded that keeping lead sinkers out of
Maine waters would increase the survival rate of these birds and allow for population growth of the
species.
Massachusetts
The regulation was implemented primarily to protect Massachusetts’ small population of Common Loon.
Vermont
to prevent the Common Loon and other birds from becoming endangered in the future.
Washington
Washington enforces a ban on the use of lead weights and jigs that measure 1.5 inches or less when fishing
on certain lakes in the state.
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From 2013 on the condors in N. Az:
Consider the source, the center for bio diversity: Of the 166 condors reintroduced into Utah and Arizona since 1996, 81 have died or disappeared. When the cause of death could be determined, more than half were due to poisoning from ingesting lead ammunition fragments left in gut piles or carcasses of shot game. At least 38 condors have been killed by lead poisoning in Arizona and Utah, with more deaths suspected to be linked to lead. Lead poisoning recently killed the female of Utah’s only breeding pair of condors. Each year, up to half of the wild Grand Canyon condors must be given life-saving, emergency blood treatment for lead poisoning.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/lead-04-16-2013.htmlAz Game and Fish believes it:
https://www.williamsnews.com/news/2020/sep/22/azgfd-reminds-hunters-lead-ammo-can-poison-condor-/==================
There are all sorts of links on the web that say ducks and geese are affected by lead like this one:
https://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/...-sheets/fact-sheet-detail/lead-poisoning================
I am thinking that it may just be a short matter of time before all lead shot is a thing of the past. (Some sources are writing about upland birds being affected) Thinking lead bullets will be outlawed but that will happen decades from now.
