I had heard the vague reasoning behind the implementation of these waterfowl rules, and the grumblings that accompanied having to abide by these standards. In these areas, non-toxic shot is the only shotgun load allowed, whether ducks, upland game, or other small game are being hunted. Again, I very much appreciate your being part of the respectful discussion. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's mission is to conserve and enhance Arkansas's fish and The danger to ingesting shot can be eliminated by careful cleaning of the game. Swallowing a bismuth pellet will only have the effect of alleviating any stomach problems. Now, my old shotgun is going to be replaced by a new gun capable of shooting steel. From FWC's website: "The ban on the use of lead shot for hunting waterfowl was phased-in starting with the 1987-88 hunting season. I would buy Bismuth shells but have you seen the price? There is none that I am aware of for the .410. I thought you were not on a crusade for other “converts” but just justifying your own decision & actions? Whether we continue to do this over cost, stubbornness or hatred of regulation, we are fighting a very disingenuous fight here. Your email address will not be published. Check the Mourning Dove Mentor Hunt results here Fields set aside for Mentor/Youth hunts are open Sept. 5 to pre-registered hunters only. Non-toxic shot is required for hunting waterfowl and coots. The boxes of lead shells I bought every late summer even had pictures of doves on them, and were called things like “dove loads.” I learned that the national average ratio for how many shells fired to doves shot was six or maybe seven to one. Chef JESSE GRIFFITHS embodies the forefront of the new hunting-cooking movement. If others hadn’t considered this before, maybe they will now and this may guide their personal actions. There is very limited non toxic and a very exorbitant price for the 28 gauge. Over a season, if hunted ten times, this number is one hundred pounds, or half a ton of lead over a decade. Steel is regarded as being more inefficient ballistically than lead. That is the ONLY point from the author’s article we agree on. After all, even if you shoot lead-free, you are still tossing plastic into the environment every time you pull the trigger in the dove field or wetland marsh. A laboratory study in Missouri force-fed lead … The following practices are legal to prepare dove fields on planted vegetation: Complete information about baiting is available from the. For some calibers and gauges even the difference between cheaper lead ammunition and nonlead ammunition can be less than $10 per box, especially if you look for deals at your local store. People, myself included, do not like to be told what to do, nor do we like to be wrong. You are also allowed to shoot jack rabbits, ground squirrels, English sparrows, and starlings and Eurasian doves. Non-toxic shot is required to hunt waterfowl. Hevi-Shot steel 5/8 oz, #4 @1350 fps Jesse, thanks for writing this article. If you just flat out do not think lead is harmful, prove it to me and go gargle some size 4s. I am learning a lot about this topic thanks to these discussions. As a duck hunter, I was well apprised of the requirement to use non-toxic shells and abided by it religiously when hunting ducks and geese. https://projectupland.com/dove-hunting/why-i-stopped-shooting-lead-at-doves-2 The failure to do the same when using steel shot will often require a trip to the dentist due to a cracked tooth or bridge work. You CAN use lead pellets. An area is considered baited for 10 days after the complete removal of all bait. The possession of lead shot is prohibited for all waterfowl hunting, statewide. Federal Speed-Shok steel 5/8 oz, #6 @1350 fps Exceptions include when hunting dove, quail, snipe; or any game birds taken on licensed game bird clubs. Please note that the article is titled “Why I Stopped Shooting Lead at Doves”, not “Why You Should Stop Shooting Lead at Doves”. Federal Game & Target, 5/8 oz, #6 @1350 fps If the area used for dove hunting is farm land, and they use lime to improve the soil (very common in some parts of the country) the lime will cause the lead to degrade very rapidly. I’ve followed a similar path, and now shoot only non-tox for all the game I pursue. On January 19, Dan Ashe, the outgoing director of the U.S. Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting by the U.S. The equation in the field that day involved the sheer volume of lead being fired, and the revelation at home involved ingesting or chewing on single pellets. To be sure that ‘lead” is being banned just about every where it is obvious in trying to buy it, lead shot has disappeared from a lot of the local big box stores. And some condors or something like that. Non-toxic shot is also required while turkey hunting on National Wildlife Refuges and Federal Waterfowl Production Areas. Approved shot includes steel (including copper, nickel or zinc-coated steel), bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer (e.g. Most, if not all, seemed genuinely bemused by my voluntary use of steel and then simultaneously admitted to never giving much thought to the matter. Not all sites present potential problems. Answer: You are correct. Fortunately, that is not what I have experienced. These shells offer more pellets per load and it only takes a few small pellets to knock a dove … Lead shot left in a vehicle is not considered “in possession.” NON-TOXIC-SHOT-ONLY AREAS. Non-toxic shot may be no larger than shot size T. Legal shooting hours are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. Steel, bismuth or other Federally approved shot includes steel ( including copper, nickel or zinc-coated steel ) bismuth-tin! 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