Larry, I agree in what you said. My thoughts, the FWS agreed to this just to appease the anti-hunters, tree huggers, etc., and to stop them for awhile looking to use this non-toxic shot on everything.
Here in Pennsylvania, and in most states the only unprotected birds you can shoot are the European Starling and European house sparrow. Crows have a season here to.
The general word "blackbirds" is too great, and really needs to be defined. At one time , I believe in Louisiana, Red-Winged blackbirds had a bounty on them for destroying rice crops.
I find it hard to believe that there is a potential for lead poisoning in a field due to nusiance bird shooting. I guess to prove that on their be-half that they should pick an area and have the ground sifted for lead and make a determination. How much to you think that would cost them?
Farmers here are the only ones allowed to determine "crop depradation" and are allowed to shoot birds, deer if deemed so, but I still believe they have to contact the game commission to do so. I don't think that includes a group to do so.
I guess they never looked into the harmful effects of fertilizer or they would try to ban farming.
