Almanac: Lead shot ban proposal now dead

A proposal to ban the use of lead shot by small-game hunters on public lands in Minnesota's agricultural region was shot down last week -- by the bill's chief author.

Four days after meeting with officials from Federal Cartridge Corp. and the National Rifle Association -- which opposed the restrictions -- Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, killed the provision.

The restriction, proposed by the DNR, would have been phased in beginning in 2011.

Chaudhary said more study is needed on the effects of lead shot on specific upland species such as pheasants, grouse and rabbits.

"I was led to believe this homework was done," he said in a news release. He also said the DNR needs to explore the economic impact. Federal in Anoka employs about 1,000 people, and more than one-fourth are directly related to the production and distribution of lead shot ammunition, Chaudhary said.

DNR officials were surprised by Chaudhary's move and criticism of the DNR. The measure had cleared two committee hearings.

"We're disappointed," said Dave Schad, DNR fish and wildlife section chief. "We brought it forward because we thought there were good reasons for it."

Hunters currently can't use lead shot on federal waterfowl production areas, even when hunting upland birds. Those federal areas often are adjacent to state wildlife management areas, where lead shot is allowed for upland hunting. That can be confusing for hunters, officials say, and result in citations.

Also, many of the state lands have wetlands on them, which are used by waterfowl. "An awful lot of lead shot deposited by upland hunters ends up in the wetlands," Schad said.

Waterfowl hunters have been banned from using lead shot for years after it was discovered that ducks were consuming spent shot at the bottom of lakes and wetlands and getting lead poisoning.

Twenty-three states, including South Dakota and Iowa, require nontoxic shot for upland game hunting on some or all state-managed lands.

An 11-member citizens committee issued a report in 2006 saying it's inevitable that lead shot be restricted for all shotgun hunting in the future. The DNR's proposal was the second-least restrictive of five options the commitee suggested.

Lead bullets also have become a hot issue since officials found lead fragments in venison at food shelves in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Schad said he believes it's just a matter of time before lead bullets and lead shot are banned.

"Lead is a toxin, and at some point we're not going to be able to use it for these purposes," he said.

He said the DNR will issue guidelines to deer hunters before next fall that will include recommendations for bullet selection, shot placement, field dressing and processing to limit lead exposure.

"This is a really big and important issue. We're concerned about future of the food shelf programs, about our ability to manage deer and how hunters might react to this. But we don't want to do something that will impair the health of hunters or their families."

Another DNR proposal stricken from a large bill at the Legislature last week was one establishing a statewide four-fish walleye limit. That idea now appears to be dead, at least for now. The DNR doesn't need legislative approval to impose such a regulation, but was seeking it anyway to prompt debate.

"We proposed it to get the discussion going," Schad said.

He said there wasn't a strong biological reason for making the move, but it would have provided a consistent statewide walleye regulation and promoted a conservation ethic. Schad said the DNR has no plans to impose the four-fish walleye limit.

The April snow that hit the state might have hurt the woodcock population. Conservation officer Tony Arhart of Deer River, where some 40 inches of snow fell April 6-13, saw woodcock apparently starving to death along freshly plowed gravel roads.

"I heard from neighboring COs that were finding dying and predated woodcock," he said. "I saw woodcock three days ago that would crouch on exposed patches of gravel and not fly away when approached. I heard woodcock courtship flights and song before the great snowfall but have not heard a single bird since."

The snow depth last Wednesday was about 4 to 6 inches, he reported.

"They always push the envelop and come sooner than we think they should, and once in a while they do get caught in it," said Earl Johnson, DNR area wildlife manager in Detroit Lakes.

It's a spring tradition: The 41st Annual Gander Mountain Crappie Contest is Saturday at Lord Fletcher's on Lake Minnetonka. The event, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, includes prizes for the heaviest fish, raffles and a live and silent auction. Fish must be weighed at Lord Fletcher's before 2 p.m. Cost: $5 if you pre-register at a Gander Mountain store, or $6 on site. For more information, see www.lls.org/mn/crappie or call 888-220-4440.

doug smith • dsmith@startribune.com