Non toxic shot restrictions

R

ROCK

Member
Pardon my ignorance but reading the rules for wia and crep public areas I don’t understand rules on lead or steel use. Are all areas are non toxic shot only? Any help would be appreciated
 
Rock -- See page 43 of the SD Hunting and Trapping handbook 2020 for Non-toxic Shot regs.

"The use of non-toxic shot is required for all small game/waterfowl hunting on all
state game production areas,
lake and fishing access areas,
state park system areas,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wildlife Production Areas managed by the GFP,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services National Wildlife Refuges,
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA).
Lead shot may not be possessed while hunting waterfowl /small game on these areas...

... it is not required on U.S. Forest Service National Grasslands, SD School and Public Lands or on most GFP-managed and leased property designated as Walk-In Areas and CREP when hunting small game..."

Also see, page 51 for individual area non-toxic shot regs.

Game Production Areas (GPA) non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and small game.
Walk-In Areas (WIA) non-toxic shot only for waterfowl.
Controlled Hunting Access Program (CHAP) non-toxic shot only for waterfowl.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) non-toxic shot only for waterfowl.
Waterfowl Production Area (WRP) non-toxic shot required for waterfowl and small game.

Hope this helps, good luck!
 
Looks like the replies above clear up the question pretty well.

For me, I have found it easier just to fill the vest with 3" #3 steel and get on with hunting. Have not carried lead in a decade and can't say I have seen any perceptible decrease in birds bagged. No longer have to worry about what can be used where, standing at the truck making noise while everyone screws with shells as birds run off in the field, having 2 different performing loads in the same day, etc.

I know - lead is technically 'better'. But the practical advantage is slim for upland hunting. Wing shooting ability is an order of magnitude more important that lead vs steel. If I shoot 99 birds instead of 100 this year and don't have to mess with different shells and regulations, that is a price I will gladly pay. But, to each his own.
 
Woollybob said:
Looks like the replies above clear up the question pretty well.

For me, I have found it easier just to fill the vest with 3" #3 steel and get on with hunting. Have not carried lead in a decade and can't say I have seen any perceptible decrease in birds bagged. No longer have to worry about what can be used where, standing at the truck making noise while everyone screws with shells as birds run off in the field, having 2 different performing loads in the same day, etc.

I know - lead is technically 'better'. But the practical advantage is slim for upland hunting. Wing shooting ability is an order of magnitude more important that lead vs steel. If I shoot 99 birds instead of 100 this year and don't have to mess with different shells and regulations, that is a price I will gladly pay. But, to each his own.
Click to expand...

I did the same thing a while back, except I'm 3" #2 steel. My wife has a 20 gauge and when I couldn't find steel for her gun, I had to buy Bismuth. I examined the pellets from the bird she shot and I could see it deformed a bit, kinda like lead, probably giving it better knockdown power. I shoot enough shells that the $$ wouldn't pencil out very well for me to switch.

I also like steel for the fact that it doesn't tear up the meat like lead. Further, I rarely see a bird that is inedible due to damage from shotgun blast. I do see that with lead a time or two each season.
 
Golden Hour said:
I did the same thing a while back, except I'm 3" #2 steel. My wife has a 20 gauge and when I couldn't find steel for her gun, I had to buy Bismuth. I examined the pellets from the bird she shot and I could see it deformed a bit, kinda like lead, probably giving it better knockdown power. I shoot enough shells that the $$ wouldn't pencil out very well for me to switch.

I also like steel for the fact that it doesn't tear up the meat like lead. Further, I rarely see a bird that is inedible due to damage from shotgun blast. I do see that with lead a time or two each season.
Click to expand...
Woolly and Golden -- Here is some info that I've posted before that might be helpful.

When using steel loads on pheasants, it is best to go with loads that contain #2 or #3 steel pellets. Steel shot lethality research conducted on pheasants by Tom Roster showed #2 steel to be more effective (at all ranges) than either #6 or #4 steel. Yes, #4 or #6 steel loads will kill'em too, but a little extra pellet energy is a good thing on wild pheasants where shots are often taken at going-away angles and can get on the long side. The research also showed that #2 steel resulted in fewer cripples than both #6 and #4 steel; and Roster speculated that the #3 steel pellet would be a good compromise between pellet count and downrange energy.

Here are a few of my pattern numbers to give you an idea of how some #3 and #2 steel loads perform, in my guns/chokes anyway!

Patterning results from a 20-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels and Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

20 GA 3" WINCHESTER DRYLOK SUPER-X STEEL LOAD
1 oz #3 steel (145 pellets) @ 1330 fps
30 YARDS – SK / pattern 114 (78%)
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 123 (85%)
40 YARDS – IM / pattern 106 (73%)
40 YARDS – LF / pattern 110 (76%)

20 GA 3" REMINGTON NITRO-STEEL MAGNUM LOAD
1 oz #2 steel (118 pellets) @ 1330 fps
30 YARDS – SK / pattern 101 (86%)
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 105 (89%)
40 YARDS – IM / pattern 99 (84%)
40 YARDS – LF / pattern 102 (86%)

I shoot most of my pheasants with this 20-gauge O/U and I normally shoot a SK/IM choke combo when using these loads.

Patterning results from a 12-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels using Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

12 GA 2 3/4" REMINGTON SPORTSMAN HI-SPEED STEEL LOAD
1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) @ 1375 fps
30 YARDS – SK / pattern 116 (83%)
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 129 (93%)
40 YARDS – LM / pattern 114 (82%)
40 YARDS – M / pattern 114 (82%)
50 YARDS – LF / pattern 100 (72%)
50 YARDS – F / pattern 106 (76%)

As you can see, there wasn't any difference between the LM and M chokes with this steel load at 40 yards, they both registered the same 5-shot pattern average! Patterning is the only way to know how your choke/load combo is really performing!

When I do shoot this 12-gauge O/U at pheasants I normally shoot a SK/M choke combo with this load.

Hope this helps, good luck!
 
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