Must we wait until every released California Condor is dead before fully banning lead ammunition for hunting? Three more are dead and three more have been taken into captivity, treated and released after suffering lead poisoning.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
And still we have to hold our noses and pretend hunters are conservationists for some reason as they fight lead shot bans with everything they have.
@Nate: Don’t get me started…
Corey, if all released Condors are dead, there will be no more need to ban lead ammunition. That’s the way it goes … down the drain. 🙁
We are living in the Dark Ages
That is sad and stupid. I can understand that lead is not banned on third world countries but in the glorious USA lead must be banned. I wonder how much lead is pumped in the environment from hunters?
I’m not sure that the amount of lead would be detrimental. However, I see the argument at hand. I lived at the Grand Canyon when they released the condors. It was a magnificent sight. I understand what some are saying when you say ‘wash it down the drain’, but it’s highly unrealistic. I guess we are ‘living in the Dark Ages’.