non-toxic shot required for all game bird hunting in Calif.

C

calamari

Member
I recall that DFW is supposed to come up with a schedule for the complete prohibition of lead shot for game bird hunting in Calif. with a due date of 2015. Does anyone know how that is going? I was hoping they'd exclude doves and quail but don't think they did.
 
I haven't stayed up on it but I thought it wasn't going to be in effect until 2018 or something like that. :confused: They should lose a lot of revenue from everybody who only buys a license and upland stamp for Sept 1st.
 
Well I got off my burro and found out the answer. It's much more restrictive than I thought. No lead whatsoever for shooting any wildlife in Calif. They have to have ammunition certified for this purpose by July 1 of this year and fully implemented by July 1 2016. They may give us one more season of lead for upland birds and then it's non-toxic from then on. They could also require it for this hunting season so buy your #6 steel shot now for dove season and no more shooting squirrels with .22s unless thay come up with a solid brass .22 bullet. Expensive.
Here's Assembly Bill 711. You've got to like the number.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_0701-0750/ab_711_cfa_20130515_172939_asm_floor.html
 
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Cal once the non toxic becomes law you may not be allowed to have lead on you or your vehicle or anywhere in CA.
So, You'll have to stay in in MT with your lead until it's used up. :eek:
Gets cold up there in Dec.
 
mnmthunting said:
Cal once the non toxic becomes law you may not be allowed to have lead on you or your vehicle or anywhere in CA.
So, You'll have to stay in in MT with your lead until it's used up. :eek:
Gets cold up there in Dec.
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Wayne, I don't think it will be quite as bad as describe but still not good. If steel shot is any indication, you can have it in your vehicle but not on you in the field. The hard part is going to be for those that reload. How wardens are supposed to determine if there is lead in a bullet without cutting it in half is problematic. Perhaps they'll emboss the bullets with identifying marks so it can be easily identified. When steel was the only non-toxic for waterfowl, wardens carried magnets to check but that won't be an option for this requirement.
If you look at the law you'll see a discussion about non-toxic being considered as a nationwide requirement. There is some interesting information about this trend in the bill's text.
You'll also see that the bill kept the option open of free or subsidized ammo if money is allocated. That funding will happen at about the same time I'm able to do 5 pull-ups and stop drinking beer. Saving my lead for Montana may not be an option for either one of us, Wayne. I wonder how trap shooting will be with 2 oz. of #4s? Awe inspiring I'd imagine.
 
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jsdriggs said:
Copper bullets work good. Steel works good on ducks. We knew this was coming some day. Can you say reload CA boys!
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"Good" Not great or excellent. I think you are very accurate in your description of steels effectiveness. I've shot my share of ducks with both lead and steel and although it's good, steel just isn't as effective or as cheap as lead.
I will switch to all non-toxic w/o any more complaints and with only a sigh about all the lead ammo that I have and don't know what I'll do with it.
 
jsdriggs said:
Hey Cal, like Wayne said, lead ain't outlawed everywhere so come visit us. I doubt Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho will be pulling that anytime soon. You are welcome anytime! You too Robert.
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Take a look at the whole law. It appears that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the ban nationwide.
I'd be happy to come visit but I'll need a bedroom close to the bathroom. My plumbing seems to have a mind of its own.
 
If it's here not yet, it will be everywhere soon enough. Once the "bit is in the mouth", with government they won't rest. Remember the steel shot, fiasco, some states signed on day one, some sued to maintain the use of lead, and proceeded to slow the progress, but eventually they fell into line. There are good acceptable shot, but boy is it costly, I use it in old doubles, "nice shot". I got some ITX recently and am working up a loads. I used bismuth before, it is very different to shoot, and practice with expensive ammo is virtually certain! I doubt that lead shot makes a dent in the toxicity of the state , compared to L.A. smog, farm chemicals in the water, E.P.A. super-fund sites from industry or military establishments , degradation of timber harvest, or just the vast number of people who live there! Space is the real villain, humans are a "user" population. Seems to fall on the evil bambi hunters to right the world and save the doo-doo bird condors! Forget the condo residential developers, who eat space in gouts. We have the dairy Farmers as friends they have to have a manure field plan or they are ruled out on the neighborhood!
 
US Fish and Wildlife has a good start on the total lead ban. Even MT is not far away from a total lead shot ban on Federal Land. MT F,W&P is a puppet to the Feds. Look for State land to follow shortly.
As far as private, in MT and Dakotas, probably a long time before lead is banned?
Something like the Russian Olives. The Feds declared war on them, States are confused and the private land owners are laughing about the whole deal. :cheers:
 
I sure am glad I didn't buy a .410 for quail hunting like I was thinking about before last season.
 
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