BAN OF TRADITIONAL AMMUNITION - WASHINGTON HUNTERS: LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!!!

[huntrights]

Please write the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife about the BAN ON THE USE OF TRADITIONAL AMMUNITION FOR ALL UPLAND BIRD HUNTING ON ALL WDFW PHEASANT RELEASE SITES ACROSS THE STATE. 

Email: (commission@dfw.wa.gov) ; Web site: (http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/)

The alert came to my attention via an email from the Capital City Rifle & Pistol Club.  You can validate the content yourself at the NRA-ILA web site (http://www.nraila.org/Hunting/Read/HuntingIssues.aspx?ID=7031&type=L)

NRA-ILA Alert:

“WASHINGTON HUNTERS: LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!!!
 
  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has imposed a ban on the use of traditional ammunition for all upland bird hunting on all WDFW pheasant release sites across the state.  This restriction was adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission two years ago but its implementation was delayed until this hunting season.  The Commission adopted the restriction during the course of its 2010-2012 hunting season-setting process.

With this in mind, it is critical that hunters and sportsmen participate in the 2012-2014 season-setting process, which is just getting underway.  The WDFW will be hosting a series of public meetings next week to take comments from the public as the first step in the process.  You can bet that the anti-hunting extremists will be represented at these meetings so the importance of hunters and sportsmen participating cannot be overstated!  Please see the meeting dates and locations provided below.

The current traditional ammunition restrictions pertain to quail, dove, pheasant and any upland bird hunted on the pheasant release sites.  No scientific studies have been cited showing population-level impacts on any species.  The WDFW seems to be acting on emotion and politics, citing the “potential” for problems associated with traditional ammunition as the basis for these far-reaching restrictions.
 
The NRA believes that the current push to ban the use of traditional ammunition in Washington is part of a new strategy being used by anti-hunting and anti-gun activists all over the country to attack our hunting traditions and firearm freedoms.  Traditional ammunition bans have a significant chilling effect on hunting by pricing hunters out of the market while hunters’ ranks are already in decline.  The opposition’s “next logical step” will be to propose a complete traditional ammunition ban throughout Washington.  This is the pattern in other states so don’t think “it won’t happen here!”

It is likely too late to do anything about the existing restriction on traditional ammunition for this season. Hunters and sportsmen now have the opportunity to demand that the restriction be withdrawn for the next three years and vocally oppose any further unsubstantiated restrictions on hunting.  The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has adopted a traditional ammunition resolution stating that "state agencies should focus regulation efforts where population-level impacts to wildlife are substantiated." (AFWA - 2010 Lead Ammunition and Fishing Tackle Resolution) (emphasis added).  With no population-level impacts cited, it is time to tell the WDFW that emotion and politics have no place in wildlife management.

With that in mind, it is important for you to attend the WDFW meeting in your part of the state.  The following meetings will run from 7:00-9:00 p.m.:

-         August 22 - Federal Way Community Center (Alder & Birch rooms), 876 South 333rd St, Federal Way
-         August 23 - Edison Place Event Center (Edison Room), 201 North Rock St, Centralia
-         August 24 - The Lincoln Center (Monroe Ballroom), 1316 North Lincoln St, Spokane
-         August 25 - Clarion Hotel & Conference Center (Selah Wapato rooms), 1507 North First St, Yakima
 
In addition to attending one of the above meetings, please comment on the issues at the WDFW’s hunting website.  Your voice matters!  Comments must be submitted by Tuesday, September 20. 
 
Posted: 8/19/2011 5:37:03 PM
 
Copyright 2011, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.
This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030    800-392-8683”

[Wenatcheejay]

I went on the 25th 

They were very nice I would recommend more people coming to these meeting and letting them know we care.

[Swannytheswan]

Email Sent!

[FC]

Email sent.

[huntrights]

Thanks to all that have responded and taken action.  Please help get the word out to others and get them motivated to write and/or attend these meetings.  It's the “under-the-radar” enacting of regulations like this ban on traditional ammunition that are chipping away at our hunting, shooting, and fishing freedoms. 

Yes, I added fishing in this communication; there have been attempts to outlaw the use of lead weights for fishing also.  Go to this link to read more: http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?id=451&issue=021
Here is an excerpt, "LAST AUGUST, THE Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental organization based in California, filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency asking for a ban on all lead ammunition and lead in fishing tackle."

[Wenatcheejay]

Thank you for your work jshunt. I agree with you 100% and I hope to see you at WDFW meetings in the future.

[Shoffy]

I sent an email as well. It's good to see the NRA backing us up too. The ban of lead shot IS an assault on our right to hunt and ultimately an assault on our right to keep arms. There is no way 53% of hunters want WA lead free. No way

[PaulM]

I applaud this effort. I read an article last year by the "The Pointer Dog Journal" addressing the trend to regulate lead shot. They encouraged the readers to write the fish and wildlife office in the reader's area to raise their concerns. The article wanted to stress that the decisions that are being made are not based on hard data. They laid out the information about the lead in shot and how they see the numbers associated with this issue. I just sent my email to the link provided(thank jshunt). My concern is this outrageous game of politics.Our hunting rights are being steamrolled. I just noticed this thread this weekend.Sorry I missed the meetings.

[Kola16]

I use steel shot and the only thing that I have against it is the price  I don't know why it is so hard to switch to if lead shot is killing birds that swallow it. If you weren't aloud to use it even when you were shooting clays no matter were you were in Washinington then I would have a problem. If birds are not dying from lead shot though then forget my whole post. I will say this though, they do not use steel shot in Mexico for ducks because some ducks that have been shot up here have had lead in them, and they were not dead until they were shot up here.

[Atroxus]

These lead bans confuse me. Sure lead is toxic if you manage to nibble bits off to swallow, or are inhaling vapors from molten lead. But then so is copper. Next thing we will only be allowed to use stainless steel bullets, and then they will try to ban that as armor piercing. Personally I think that ppl need to stop wasting energy on banning this or that ammo/weapon/gadget and just make stiffer penalties for people who misuse them.

[fethrduster]

Steel sucks.  Period.  You can only use it in modern guns, and it is only effective in heavy recoil,  super fast loads.  Of the 5 shotguns I own and hunt with (4 sxs's and one single shot), the newest one was made in the 40''s, the oldest in the 1880's.  So, I would either have to forego my freedom of choice to use old guns and hunt with modern guns, which I dislike, or use expensive ITX, Nice shot, bismuth, or other non tox, soft ammo that is safe for use in older guns.   If non tox ammo other than steel comes down to the price of steel, then I wouldn't care so much if lead was banned or not, because it is effective as lead. Until then however, I see no reason to ban lead, especially since there is no hard data showing it has any significant adverse effects. 

[woodswalker]

Personally I think that ppl need to stop wasting energy on banning this or that ammo/weapon/gadget and just make stiffer penalties for people who misuse them.

Atroxus, the folks pushing this dont CARE about the perp doing something stupid and misusing the ammo/gadget/weapon...they want them BANNED and will use any ruse to do so whether by legislative fiat, pricing most folks out of the market or making items nigh to impossible to purchase/own/hold.

[PaulM]

I have now emailed Fish and Wildlife( please see my previous post here) to ask them whether they had any facts or data that may have been used to make the regulation. I asked them to send me the information. I stated my concern was that this decision was not based on facts and was simply political. I have read articles on lead versus steel shot. The different articles have dealt with the toxicity of lead and the ballistics of steel. The numbers for this are impressive but basically the steel is far less effective. anyone can correct me here please if I mistate anything. They use pounds per square inch measurements to show the differences. Lead has far more power measured in pounds per square inch.The size of the pellet causes more mass for each pellet as you increase the pellet size. In order to get the same pounds per square inch out of steel,  you need to increase pellet sizes to create enough mass. This creates a shot pattern with fewer pellets. The fish and wildlife office actually emailed me a reply. They indicated they are required by law to respond. They said they need to take time to pull the data and will respond no later than September 26th. We should all write them if we care about hunting.

[shotgun-2]

I sent a sharp note to the Phil Anderson, The Director of WDFW, about the nontoxic shot for upland bird hunting on WDFW release sites.

I shoot a classic Beretta SxS in 16 ga. that cannot handle steel shot, after searching the web for an alternative shot, all I could locate was a Classic Double Load that is priced at $75 for a ten round box!  B.S., who can afford to shoot that, not me, thats for sure. The state just made a fine old shotgun worthless.

Yes, I do own other guns, but they just took away my favorite shotgun from me.

I believe my days of upland hunting and maybe all bird hunting, in Washington State are over.

 

[PaulM]

shotgun-2, sorry to hear about your side by side issue. For now you can still shoot lead except on the release sites. I still shoot lead most places. That sounds like a nice Beretta 16. If I were you I would just hunt the real thing anyway.I so not hunt the release sites on the east side because they have wild birds over there. I just received a response from my inquiry to the state regarding the facts behind the decisions to ban lead at the Eastern Washington pheasant release areas. I really want to stop the tidal wave of the politicians. I love upland too much to not speak up. They sent me two files with data. One has a ton of data on the swans in Whatcom county. Its full of data. The facts I see for upland are damning to their case and even disclose they have no hard data. They had a small amount of information on lead versus steel in hunting differences. It did not address the relative impact difference ( lb/sq. inch)per pellet nor the shot pattern density issues. This is so amazing. They also spoke to apparent apathy of the of hunters stating that more hunters now agree with them. They are taking our lead! What next?! I do not know who they asked about this but they are not experienced or educated people obviously. JSHunt you deserve a medal for starting this thread.