I am amused at this notion that the lead shot ban is a devious plot of antihunters. Birds pick up lead off the bottom, it sits in their gut chelating (binding) digestive enzymes, and they quietly starve, green goo running out their butts, no matter how much they eat. This is not the fantasy of boffins or grad students or bunny huggers - it was millions of dead waterfowl.
In reference to Salopian's and Lowell's comments, I never quite understand the antipathy toward scientists whenever they come up with findings that make people uncomfortable, like say, global warming. Sorry folks, sometimes we need to recognize that old practices are destructive and need to be changed. Blaming the messenger is pretty childish.
The NRA seem quite happy to see one of the world's most magnificent birds, the condor, go extinct because they are too cheap or just too bloody minded to use nonlead in condor country. They, and those who whine about nontox in the marsh, come off looking like selfish children who are happy to poison wildlife if it means saving a few bucks in ammo. Pretty pathetic.
However, I am no fan of steel. I just came back from a duck hunt where I saw more cripples sailed to steel than birds killed. Pretty disgusting. As I don't even own a gun that can handle steel, I can feel self righteous.
And thank you King, for your refusal to harvest. I, too, prefer killing birds to harvesting them.
