Get the Lead out of Hunting and Fishing!

Attention hunters and fishers! Every year bald eagles suffer and die as a result of lead poisoning from uninformed hunters. This year, however, there has been an alarming increase in the number of eagles found with this condition. In reference to an article recently published by The Des Moines Register, Iowa bird rescue Saving Our Avian Resources (acronym SOAR) have treated 14 eagles with lead poisoning so far this year when usually their numbers are 5 or 6 this time of year.

Bald eagles are not only predators but are opportunistic scavengers. This means that any large carcass lying by the roadside or in a field will not go ignored. The result of this are eagles inevitably finding deer that have been struck by lead, lost by the hunter, and left to perish. As the birds consume the carcass, that lead is swallowed and soon begins to poison the animal.

It doesn’t take much lead to poison a raptor; a small shaving ingested could be enough for a lethal dose which unfortunately means that eagles with lead poisoning usually do not survive. According to the executive director of SOAR, Kay Neumann, the severe effects of lead poisoning can lead to brain swelling, blindness, and kidney and liver failure. Thanks to SOAR’s research, of the 940 bald eagles they’ve treated in the last 22 years, they observed lead poisoning to be the leading cause of death. Their study also found that lead concentrations were highest across all age classes during October through January which coincides with the hunting and trapping seasons in Iowa. These findings reflect the same datasets from many other rehabilitation centers.

What is most frustrating is that these deaths are entirely preventable. Making the switch to copper or steel ammunition or fish tackle can protect our beautiful birds from becoming needlessly poisoned by our choices. To find lead free ammunition, check out local retailers like Davenport Guns, G&G Retailers, or B&B Shooting Supplies. Every species on this planet has a role to fill, and River Action believes that our role as humans is to be good stewards of the environment. No matter the career you’ve chosen for yourself or where you spend your time, there are always opportunities to be a good steward of the land.