Protecting eagles from lead poisoning is a no-brainer. Why did it get voted down?

Victor E. education ambassador at Hoo’s Woods | photo by Dianne Moller

Bald eagles in Wisconsin are starting to make a steady comeback thanks to conservation efforts. Unfortunately, also on the rise are the number of eagles being poisoned by lead. The  biggest culprit is lead in ammo and fishing lures. Eagles eat from the carcasses of animals left by hunters and are often poisoned in the process.

I was sure with a recent resolution brought to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress for a vote,  we were on the way to having that issue rectified. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. The  resolution was voted down last month— much to the disappointment of raptor rescuers in the state as well as wildlife advocates. As a driver  and supporter of Raptor Education Group of Antigo, I have seen so many eagles brought to RGIS with lead poisoning. Unfortunately very few make any sort of recovery.

Before the results of the voting had been announced, RGIS had posted “lead poisoning is a constant problem in our environment. The fix is simple, use non-lead ammunition, sinkers and jigs. Do your part for wildlife please.”

At least 30 states have banned lead ammunition, and some have banned it for certain species or locations. For example, Colorado prohibits lead shot for hunting waterfowl. California has banned lead ammunition, and the Biden administration has proposed a lead ban on eight federal lands in the eastern United States, which could expand to other lands.

Wildlife advocates were pushing for the replacement of lead ammo and fish lures with copper. So why is copper a better option? For one thing, copper is less toxic than lead. Second, copper ammunition tends to stay more intact unlike lead which generally splinters.

If the lead ban had been approved it would have gone to the DNR for consideration. How did something that seemed like a no-brainer get voted down when DNR numbers have shown at least 15% of bald eagle deaths are attributed to lead poisoning?

Members of the WCC and hunters in the state were brainwashed by the gun lobby and anti-wildlife politicians like Tom Tiffany to believe switching to copper ammunition is the “government’s attempt to take your weapons.” Of course this is nonsense, but any mention of that phrase “taking your guns”  immediately elicits the “I will not comply” rhetoric I’ve heard way too much.

To the hunters who did vote in favor of this resolution, I salute you. Unfortunately, you are sadly in the minority. For everyone who voted against it, you lost any claim to being patriotic when you wouldn’t do the simplest thing to protect a symbol of freedom.

Going lead-free will protect our eagles and other wildlife and it’s time to recognize that fact.

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