more on Calif. condor issue

[billrquimby]

For Immediate Release

 

December 6, 2007

 

SCI Files Comments Opposing Lead Ammunition Ban Expansion in California

 

Washington, D.C. - Safari Club International filed two sets of comments

opposing regulatory expansion of the lead ammunition ban in condor

range, recently enacted by the State of California. The statutory ban

covers big game and coyote hunting, but the proposed regulations would

go much further.

 

One set of comments went to the California Department of Fish & Game on

November 26 and the other went to the California Fish and Game

Commission on November 30.

 

The California Fish and Game Commission is considering whether to adopt

a regulatory lead ammunition ban for nongame bird and mammal hunting

other than coyote hunting. California law currently allows the hunting

of these species without any limitations on ammunition used.

 

According to the State environmental review document, the use of lead

ammunition for these types of hunting does not adversely impact the

condor.

 

SCI also urged the Commission to define non-lead ammunition, for

purposes of the statutory ban, to allow trace amounts of lead. According

to testimony given to the Commission, non-lead ammunition contains trace

amounts of lead. A strict definition requiring absolutely no lead

content would effectively end big game and coyote hunting in the

expansive area of California classified as condor range, which is

roughly one-third of the state.

 

The Commission may vote on the regulatory ban as early as December 7,

2007.

 

"SCI's efforts in California amount to a pulling back of the lead

curtain," said SCI President, Dennis Anderson. "The Commission appears

to believe extending the lead ammo ban to all types of hunting is a

foregone conclusion. But although SCI disagrees with them on the need

for a lead ammo ban at all, the California Legislature and Governor have

spoken. The Commission should not expand the statutory ban any further.

Instead, the focus should be on implementing the statutory ban,

monitoring its impacts, and further research, not on further

overburdening of hunters."

[SilentButDeadly]

Its too bad this has happened in CA, I doubt any non-hunter will look past the headline 'SCI opposes lead ban,' to actually read about the case, leading to further mis-conception in the non-hunting community about hunters.

 

Maybe California will become populated by crack archers now that the gun shooters are going to go away...

[Outdoor Writer]

Did you folks see the article Dewayne Smith wrote in yesterday's AZ Republic on this topic?? -TONY

[CouesWhitetail]

Yes, I saw the article. (It wasn't really so much about the lead ban in CA and the SCI opposition to it, it was more about the voluntary lead reduction efforts by hunters and AGFD up on the Kaibab). Glad to hear that they feel they are getting 80-85% compliance. I am not sure why we can't get closer to 100% though. It still irritates me that I saw a hunter on the Kaibab leave a gut pile out there after having shot up the liver with a lead bullet. He had driven his truck right to the dead deer, had a bag that AGFD had given him for the gut pile, and yet still chose to leave the gut pile behind. He said he would go get the gut pile later, but when it became obvious he wasn't going to and when I saw a condor near the carcass, I went with some friends and picked it up ourselves, but there had already been a condor on it and the liver was gone. AGFD even offered a chance for a $500 Cabela's gift certificate if you brought in a gut pile. So how much easier can AGFD make it for voluntary compliance? They give you free non-lead ammunition and if you don't use that, they give a bag to carry the gut pile out in and also a chance to win a bunch of stuff if you turn in the gut pile. And if you happen to be too far into the woods to feel like packing a gut pile out, all you have to do is bury it.

 

Amanda

[Outdoor Writer]

Amanda,

 

Right. Sorry if I somehow implied it was connected to the CA ban. By "topic," I meant the lead ammo/condor connection.

 

Like you, I thought getting the 85% VOLUNTARY compliance was an excellent start to short circuit any lead ammo ban. The guy you cited is merely an example of the typical cretin who will be the first to bitch if such a ban goes into effect, despite the fact he helped bring it about. Did you happen to notice his license plate origin? -TONY

[CouesWhitetail]

He was from AZ.

 

Amanda

[Outdoor Writer]

He was from AZ.

 

Amanda

 

That makes him even more of a cretin. -TONY

[TLH]

My friend shot a nice buck on the Bab during the late hunt--it was way in the wilderness area and he was running out of time--he packed out the meat first--hung the head in a tree nd in the morning went back with his bag to collect the guts. When he arrived where his buck was shot there wasn't anything but blood spots and pieces of meat and it was apparent that the coyote's got there before he could get back. He was disappointed as he wanted to gather the guts for the game and fish. He shoots a caliber that there is no copper for--yet, i hope.

 

He said it was the strangest thing he had ever seen because there wasn't any hide, spine, pelvis or anything left! His head must have been just high enough for the yote's not to get it but he said you could see where they attempted get up the ceder tree he had it hung in.

 

 

He tried--he really wanted to but it didn't happen.

 

I think it is very important to try in every way to use copper on the Bab, after all, we have spent a lot of time and money to bring the condors back and they deserve the chance to succeed.

[Snapshot]

I have never hunted the Kaibab, but I fish at Lee's Ferry every year. It is a beautiful thing to see them soaring on the thermals

in the canyon.