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Wildlife Wednesday: Non-Lead Ammunition Discussion
Killing big-game animals with conventional lead-core bullets commonly results in lead fragments in the gut piles that hunters leave behind in the field. That lead can harm or kill eagles and other wildlife that feed on the remains.
Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy with the National Wildlife Federation, will speak about the importance of hunters getting educated about the advantages of non-lead ammunition. His talk is part of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation's monthly "Wildlife Wednesday" program.
Kindle made the switch to non-lead ammunition for his own hunting years ago. These days, he uses copper bullets exclusively to take elk, deer and other game to feed his family.
Kindle, a Colorado resident, has worked in conservation for the past 20 years. He said he sees hunters choosing to switch to non-lead ammunition as an extension of hunting ethics.
“Most sportsmen, at least the good ones I know, don’t want to be harming other wildlife,” Kindle said. “We all learn in hunter safety to know your target. You’re responsible for that bullet. We just extend that to whatever you left in the field. That bullet is still your responsibility,” he said.
Kindle noted that responsible hunters know not to shoot at a skylined animal – meaning one standing on a ridge with no immediate backstop to catch the bullet. And hunters know not to shoot into a herd where there’s a chance of hitting other animals standing behind the intended target.
“I feel like it falls kind of in that same realm,” Kindle said of the decision to use non-lead ammunition. “You can’t do harm to other things. You need to harvest your target safely, humanely.”
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3042184-0
