Legal steel, legal lead

FCSpringer

FCSpringer

Moderator
Since there was some chat about what is right or wrong on legal steel or lead I thought it would be a good topic.

First I know for a fact you can not set foot on federal waterfowl production areas with lead shot shells, period, don't do it. It does not matter if you are pheasant hunting or duck hunting. Unless it is a single projectile, like a slug or rifle for deer, 22 for coon yote hunting etc. MN public hunting, same law. If you are on private land you can carry both sure. But as soon as you have a duck or waterfowl in hand, you now are not legal to have lead on your possession, period. If you get caught walking back to your car with a duck and have both steel or lead in your vest you will be fined. Sure in transit from spot to spot you can have it in your vehicle and posses ducks waterfowl etc. Just not in the field. Pheasants you can harvest on private land or rights of ways with either. This is the law here, and the entire country for federal land. In MN if you walk out with lead shot shells on public land you best look over your shoulder your entire hunt, cause your breaking the law.;) I recommend you look in to this before you go by what someone on here tells you what you can do. Is it worth loosing your gun possibly, and a fine? It pays to check the law.:thumbsup:
 
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FC, to my knowledge it is NOT illegal to hunt upland birds on state owned public land with lead shot. They encourage you to use non-tox on these lands for upland bird hunting but it is NOT illegal. I just read the regs.
 
Some, not all, National Wildlife Refuges in Cali (which I suspect is fed land?) You CAN use lead if you're only upland hunting but I like this thread. Make yourself familiar with rules and regs no matter where you are hunting.
 
FCSpringer said:
Since there was some chat about what is right or wrong on legal steel or lead I thought it would be a good topic.

First I know for a fact you can not set foot on federal waterfowl production areas with lead shot shells, period, don't do it. It does not matter if you are pheasant hunting or duck hunting. Unless it is a single projectile, like a slug or rifle for deer, 22 for coon yote hunting etc. MN public hunting, same law. If you are on private land you can carry both sure. But as soon as you have a duck or waterfowl in hand, you now are not legal to have lead on your possession, period. If you get caught walking back to your car with a duck and have both steel or lead in your vest you will be fined. Sure in transit from spot to spot you can have it in your vehicle and posses ducks waterfowl etc. Just not in the field. Pheasants you can harvest on private land or rights of ways with either. This is the law here, and the entire country for federal land. In MN if you walk out with lead shot shells on public land you best look over your shoulder your entire hunt, cause your breaking the law.;) I recommend you look in to this before you go by what someone on here tells you what you can do. Is it worth loosing your gun possibly, and a fine? It pays to check the law.:thumbsup:
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You can hunt public land in Minnesota with lead shot, including WMA's for small game and upland birds.
 
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/2012/full_regs.pdf

mndnr.gov/lead

Use of Lead Shot (page 35)
• No person may take ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, sandhill cranes or gallinules with lead shot or while having lead shot in possession.

(Page 36)
• Lead shot may be used statewide for hunting other small game in accordance with firearms restrictions in this booklet, except in federal Wildlife Refuges and Waterfowl Production Areas.
 
I called the game warden and he told me you can not use lead on state public hunting, or WPA's. So I won't do it LOL.:D The problem is they make things so confusing. I have not taken lead on public land for years. And we always get checked for it when we get stoped out there. ???? State wide is vague, I am taking that as any where but public hunting. Just going by what the guy who will give me a ticket says.
 
FCSpringer said:
I called the game warden and he told me you can not use lead on state public hunting, or WPA's. So I won't do it LOL.:D The problem is they make things so confusing. I have not taken lead on public land for years. And we always get checked for it when we get stoped out there. ???? State wide is vague, I am taking that as any where but public hunting. Just going by what the guy who will give me a ticket says.
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I find it so much simpler to just use steel shot, that way I don't have to look over my shoulder or check the rules for each place.
 
Might help

What is the difference in cost for #4 steel vs #4 lead in your states. Here it is very different sometime upwards of $10 per box of 25.
 
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EddiefromOhio said:
What is the difference in cost for #4 steel vs #4 lead in your states. Here it is very different sometime upwards of $10 per box of 25.
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Good thread,

Yes, steel is costly, compared to lead. However, dirt cheap for the cost of a ticket, from Game and fish, for use of lead in the wrong place. Just saying, better safe than sorry.
 
Just checked with another game warden from another area, and you can use lead for anything but waterfowl on MN WMA's. But if you have a duck, or even are seen shooting at waterfowl, you can not have lead on you. Federal lands WPA's 0 lead may be used. This fella maybe does not like lead, LOL. Most of our public land is federal, so make sure you know the dif. Green and white signs fed. Yellow signs state.
 
I thought all Federal NWR's require non toxic for all bird hunting.
All other federal lands open to public hunting such as National Forests and BLM lead is allowed for up land, same thing for state owned land, except for State owned Waterfowl Production areas, non toxic only.. If Your hunting waterfowl on any land You can NOT have lead on you. Your truck Yes.
 
Kent Fasteel® Precision Steel Shot Shells - Per Case

12 Gauge 3" 1-1/4 oz. # 3 1,425

Regular Price:
$144.99

In Stock

Kent Ultimate Fast Lead™ Shotshells - Per Case

12 Gauge 2-3/4" 3-3/4 1-1/4 oz. # 6 1,330

Regular Price:
$119.99

I don't see much difference in performance, or to my wallet.
 
FCSpringer said:
I called the game warden and he told me you can not use lead on state public hunting, or WPA's. So I won't do it LOL.:D The problem is they make things so confusing. I have not taken lead on public land for years. And we always get checked for it when we get stoped out there. ???? State wide is vague, I am taking that as any where but public hunting. Just going by what the guy who will give me a ticket says.
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It sucks when a game warden doesn't even know the laws and regulations of his/her own state. :eek: As onpoint posted and I read, it states it pretty clear in the Hunting Handbook that lead is okay in Minnesota on state owned public land when hunting upland game.

Now South Dakota is another situation. You CANNOT use lead on most state lands such as Game Production Areas. The use of lead on Walk-In Area is okay.

Moral of the story is: Know the laws of the state you are hunting in. (Be a good Idea for the CO's to know them also).
 
take

take is the legal word here. this post was beat up some time ago and a, i believe kansas game warden got involved and was not much help. taking, is hunting, can't have lead but it can be stored and or placed other places so long as it is not readily available. the law does not say you can't have lead io your self while transporting waterfowl. walking back to your vehicle with both is not hunting, is not in the process of taking. looking for trouble, maybe, but you would win in court if it meant that much too you

cheers
 
getting checked

once while goose hunting and he checked every one of my 410 shells, not sure how they would react to making me unload my 14 ga. the guy in wyo. was more interested in seeing the gun than what was in it and or if they can identify itx shot or bismuth. don't know

cheers
 
bigblue

So what is the law in South Dakota? Where do you if anywhere do you have to shoot steel to hunt pheasant.
 
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bigblue

Great white hunter said:
Have you guys ever had the law enforcement or anyone for that matter check the type of ammunition you had?
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Have been going to South Dakota for 13 years only check once and that was because they had a report of people hunting private land without permission. Only thing he check was our papers, nothing on shells, plugs or limits. Very nice guy talked to us for about 20 mins and moved on.
 
Most wardens check for use of steel shot with a magnet. If you tell them you are shooting hand loaded bismuth or tungsten they woudn't be able to check except by breaking every shell open. Even still it's tough to tell bismuth from lead by looking alone.
 
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