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Hunters are Poisoning Bald Eagles With Lead

Where you you think they are getting significant levels of lead in nature?
I'm not, but I also realize there is a difference between "none" and "significant levels". But Joe can't acknowledge shit like that because he is a hyperventilating little bitch that likes to pursue dumb narratives.
 
The article was pretty vague but it sounded like the researchers think the main source is rifle rounds, not fishing tackle or shot. I’m not a hunter nor a munitions expert. How would going away from lead in a rifle round impact hunting?
This would all be shotgun rounds. I can't think of a common scenario where a rifle round would end up in a body of water. Maybe somwthong like a varmit got shot and went for water but varmint hunting is incredibly rare in today's world of anti fur.
 
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Not remotely true.

The article clearly indicates it is lead shot (and fishing weights) that are the primary lead pollution sources.

Reading Is Fundamental.
And you original statement didn't discuss any of the other sources.



You gonna change your title since you are now acknowledging the fishing aspect or just keep shitting on the wall?
 
They are scavengers, not hunters (aside from 'fish')
Damn Florida eagles are weird then. I’ve watched them attack ospreys who stick around when there’s a bald eagle within s mile. I’ve also seen eagles flying with live snakes in their talons, which makes me a fan of eagles. 👏

I don’t like hearing about this lead business- but articles I’ve read on the issue say that the growth of this species is roughly 10% a year, so at least extinction isn’t happening by 2023. Nonetheless this must be addressed,
 
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Nearly half of 1,210 eagles showed signs of repeated exposure to lead in a new study


Precisely why "regulation" and outlawing lead shot is the only solution here.
Market forces don't fix stuff like this.
Ummm...I have a problem with one of the central points in the article. It said that lead ammunition is designed to spread/break apart when hitting a target animal...and therefore an eagle that consumes a dead animal may ingest lead, etc.

Short version...that really isn't the case. Virtually every rifle/gun cartridge/bullet that exists is designed to remain intact and "mushroom" upon impact. While there may be trace elements left in the meat, it would be miniscule at best.

Therefore, I question the conclusions of this "study", as that is a pretty big flaw IMO. Now then...if someone told me that there was a reason to think that eagles are ingesting some lead due to sinkers used in fishing, etc, I think that would be a possibility worth exploring.

But eagles getting lead from eating deer, etc, that have been shot and not found...yeah, not feeling that.
 
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Because there's no other "natural" source of lead to poison them aside from lead shot.
False...lead sinkers/jig heads used for fishing would be just one other potential source of lead for an eagle to ingest...and much more probable as a possibility than stray lead in a wounded animal.

One should be careful to examine all of the assumptions made in the name of "science" before making firm declarations.
 
There are more eagles today than there were 50 years ago,.. not concerned.
 
Ummm...I have a problem with one of the central points in the article. It said that lead ammunition is designed to spread/break apart when hitting a target animal...and therefore an eagle that consumes a dead animal may ingest lead, etc.

Short version...that really isn't the case. Virtually every rifle/gun cartridge/bullet that exists is designed to remain intact and "mushroom" upon impact. While there may be trace elements left in the meat, it would be miniscule at best.

Therefore, I question the conclusions of this "study", as that is a pretty big flaw IMO. Now then...if someone told me that there was a reason to think that eagles are ingesting some lead due to sinkers used in fishing, etc, I think that would be a possibility worth exploring.

But eagles getting lead from eating deer, etc, that have been shot and not found...yeah, not feeling that.
Lead actually keeps its shape and doesn't fragment far better than bismuth ect. I won't switch to boss, and still shoot old school steel, foe this very reason. I don't have anywhere near the knockdown power of the new non toxics but I don't have to worry as much about chipping my tooth on some.tasty goose fajitas.
 
But eagles getting lead from eating deer, etc, that have been shot and not found...yeah, not feeling that.

Actually, lead ammo that gets littered about ends up in other stuff that moves up the food chain to what eagles eat. Doesn't need to be in the shell that hit the deer (which isn't going to degrade into the tissue very fast).

It's combinations of lead used in shot, rounds as well as fishing.
 
Where you you think they are getting significant levels of lead in nature?

If you wanna take a crack at where "lead ore" is mined across America, and in what states, have at it.
Galena, Illinois…Dubuque, Iowa…
The Shot Tower located in Dubuque, Iowa, is one of the last remaining shot towers in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a recognized symbol of the city. At its location near the Mississippi River, the Tower can be seen from the riverwalk and is currently undergoing extensive renovations. It stands 120 feet 5 inches (36.70 m) tall.

George W. Rogers Company Shot Tower
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
DubuqueShotTower.jpg
The tower in 2021
Shot Tower (Dubuque) is located in Iowa
 
Galena, Illinois…Dubuque, Iowa…
The Shot Tower located in Dubuque, Iowa, is one of the last remaining shot towers in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a recognized symbol of the city. At its location near the Mississippi River, the Tower can be seen from the riverwalk and is currently undergoing extensive renovations. It stands 120 feet 5 inches (36.70 m) tall.

George W. Rogers Company Shot Tower
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
DubuqueShotTower.jpg
The tower in 2021
Shot Tower (Dubuque) is located in Iowa

#NotMining
#NotInUseForMoreThan100Years
 
But,..but..eagles kill all those new-born calves. Herds of cattle reduced by this constantly observed phenomenon. There won't be any cattle left if we don't eliminate eagles.
One time when driving between Albany and Lebanon in Oregon I saw a huge bird in a field and it was a bald eagle straight up killing/eating a baby lamb.
 
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So tailings from any mines over a hundred years old are of no concern today. Good to know especially out there in Colorado…


Abandoned mines don’t necessarily have the same level of protection around their tailings. Tailings can leach toxins up to 100 years after the mine is abandoned, and older abandoned mines weren’t necessarily as careful with their tailings as mines are today. There are several things about tailings that make them toxic:

Acid: Sulfides in the tailings turn into acid that drains into surface water, along with chemicals used during processing, like cyanide. Acid drainage makes the water more corrosive. Marine habitats become unable to support fish and plant life.

Heavy metals: As the newly created acid leaches, it allows heavy metals to escape. Arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and other metals wash into the soil and water supply. People in turn eat fish and drink water contaminated with heavy metals.
 
#Mines can leak toxins 100 years after being abandoned…
Sure.

Near the mines.

But this study isn't finding correlations of poisoning to mining areas. Which means the primary mode of transmission is something more widespread: hunting, fishing
 
Perspective: on this very forum there is a thread right now about an abandoned cargo ship loaded with cars drifting through the ocean. In the article discussing that ship it states the environmental impact from that burning ship, which will inevitably sink, is minimal. There is more toxic metal on that ship than all of the hunters of Iowa will shot next year in all seasons combined and that doesn't include the oil, fuel, or fluids. Never forget how money drives narratives.
 
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Sure.

Near the mines.

But this study isn't finding correlations of poisoning to mining areas. Which means the primary mode of transmission is something more widespread: hunting, fishing
And Trader Joes
 
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