Having seen first hand the results of the EPA mandate for MTBE (how they mandated it in spite of the warning that it would poison the Water Supply, and increase smog in most areas), the Asbestos hysteria and shake down racket. Not to mention the DDT over reaction. I naturally distrust mandates of the FEDGOV, and harbored serious doubts about the harmfulness of Lead Shot to Waterfowl.
So a few years back I had an opportunity to meet with a gentleman who had collected the samples of Ducks back in the ‘70s, that had ingested lead shot. I ask him if it had any merit. He told me that it did, the lead levels in the Ducks, with lead shot in them was in general too high, and harming the ducks, as well as anything that ate them.
But, and this is a big butt, the ducks contained small shot - 7 ½ s mostly, and a few 6s – nothing larger. He speculated that the ducks didn’t eat the larger shot, spit it out, or perhaps it was heavy enough to sink. So why small lead shot was not banned for water fowl, instead of banning all lead shot? Well who knows? I sure don’t .
