I tossed in the towel on hunting waterfowl right after inferior shot became mandatory. It wasn't the only reason, as I discovered I enjoyed being out in the uplands with my Father's Irish setter more than sitting in a duck blind, but, it was a factor. My Dad kept duck hunting. The dog was perfectly happy to go with me.
Not long after I quit waterfowl, I did start noticing that I was finding wounded grouse in the Sherburn WMA (which, was inferior shot only, for any kind of hunting) which the dog retrieved as cripples, that had infections cooking in their bodies from being winged with inferior shot loads. This was still early in the game, so those loads would have been steel.
Cleaning the birds revealed steel pellets rusting inside the birds, and an infection around it. Lead shot in a non lethal wound typically will stay put, and, stay inert, with few if any side effects from it being there. I've taken a few pheasants that have had two sizes of lead pellets in them in the past, and if it was lead, said bird didn't appear wounded at the time I took it.
I maintain the inferior shot was a dictate, that was intended, along with mismanagement of the uplands at the state level (that was occuring at the same time) that was intended to diminish outdoor pursuits. I will leave the reasons why to others more involved with the process, but, what has happened to the upland experience in most states could have only happened deliberately. It continues to this day with a push for inferior bullets for big game hunting.
Eventually, with enough different dictates, the great majority will say "screw this" and buy a boat and go fishing. Or, take up bowling.
I won't let them win, in my lifetime. I will hunt where they spent my tax dollars to diminish habitat for wild birds, using whatever crap they make me use to attempt to take birds that don't exist there anymore.
Not sure my Son will feel the same, however.
Best,
Ted
