A current issue that I read about, in Field and Stream which is an outdoor magazine i subscribe to, discussed the trend for states and the national government prohibiting the use of Toxic Shot while hunting. In general Toxic shot refers to lead shot. Lead is known to cause poisoning in animals and humans alike. I believe in the 1980′s the US government made it illegal to use lead shot while hunting migratory waterfowl as studies revealed that waterfowl wounded by lead shot could get lead poisoning and when they died food chains in the marshes and bodies of water that they died in led to large levels of lead in water ecosystems. This I thought was quite relevant to the reading on the meadowlands, seeing how water ecosystems especially marshes and swamps, where a lot of waterfowl hunting occurs, are affected by human activity even inadvertently through hunting.
Since the ban on toxic shot for Waterfowl in the 80′s more and more states and regions are adopting this policy for other hunting especially with upland bird hunting, and other migratory game birds that are not waterfowl, and efforts are even being conducted to remove toxic shot from all types of hunting.
The article discusses how hunters view the ban on toxic shot, and to some it is a bad thing but as the author goes on to say, if the preservation of the land for hunting is wanted then those who use it should be the first to protect it. he went on further to say that although at this point in time non toxic shot is more expensive than lead it should change in years to come and non toxic shot will be less expensive than lead. Non toxic shot is also becoming more advanced and effective than lead when it comes to hunting leading hunters to choose it not only because they have too but because it works better.
To me these kind of changes are the ones that make a big difference and help people understand what the environment has to offer and how they can help preserve it.
This is a quote from the author of the article
“We never saw bald eagles when I was kid, but they’re a common sight along the Iowa River now that they no longer feed on DDT-laced fish and lead-poisoned waterfowl. While a lot of hunters will disagree with me, I really believe lead bans are not secret back-door attacks on guns and hunting but are acts of genuine, well-intentioned concern for the environment.”
Good posting about a current event.