Steel question.

bobeyerite

bobeyerite

New member
There is a lot of talk that Washington may get a lead ban in some areas. I know some of you are already living with such a ban. My Question is; Exactly how do the Game Wardens check you for lead shells? Thank you for the replies, I do appreciate it.---Bob
 
Magnet

South Dakota has a ban on lead on all public lands

In Minnesota, you can't use lead on any WMA's

Who's pushing these ban's is what ticks me off. Most of the time, it's some elected city dweller who never leaves the concrete jungle who is using their twisted thinking to curtail our sport. Just like the ban on lead bullets for big game. that are being tried.

In Minnesota, I blame the Bluff Country deer hunting Assoc. They pushed the deer donation program. that brought the spotlight of lead in venison. which lead to 1000s of pounds of donated venison being thrown away. Tell the 1000s of our ancestors who ate Venison shot with lead bullets for 100s of years, that they were wrong all those years.

Help us all protect us from ourselves
 
bobeyerite said:
There is a lot of talk that Washington may get a lead ban in some areas. I know some of you are already living with such a ban. My Question is; Exactly how do the Game Wardens check you for lead shells? Thank you for the replies, I do appreciate it.---Bob
Click to expand...

A game warden will simply ask to see what's in your gun or pocket.
 
I've never been checked but all steel shells say so on them. So a visual check would normally suffice. I suppose if the lettering was worn off a good magnet would tell if it's steel or lead. If it sticks to the magnet it has to be steel.
 
Thank you guy's. I thought they had a special machine. But I can see how a Magnet would work fine. I'm thinking I will buy some steel shot or something like it and load my own.---Bob
 
The game wardens I have been checked by have always used a magnet. In some of the areas I hunt, we occasionally get passing shots at sandhill crane and geese, so I frequently hunt with steel. One day I was able to take 2 pheasant, 2 geese, and a sandhill all while working a 100 acre field. I typically carry larger steel shot (BB, BBB) for the crane and geese and smaller steel shot for the pheasant and just switch out. It all has to be steel though as you cannot have any lead in your possession if you are hunting waterfowl at all.

What I find interesting is that you are allowed to shoot sandhill crane with lead. It is only migratory waterfowl that you must use steel (or non-lead) on and a sandhill is not considered waterfowl. The crane can and do use the same roosting and feeding areas as geese, but as long as you are only hunting crane you can currently use lead. It doesnâ??t make sense to me, but Iâ??m not complaining.
 
A magnet only works with steel, if you are using bismuth of hevi shot they just have to take your word for it, especially if you hand load.
 
the steel also makes a different sound coming out of the barrel from a distance.
i know a refuge guy and he said he drives around and listens. he also said if there was someone suspicious he would pay moe attention to them.

So act normal
 
Here is a link to the hunting regulations on the DU lands:

http://www.ducks.org/media/South Da...cts/_documents/SD DU Public Hunting areas.pdf

There is nothing in there about what type of shot to use. I also looked at the SD GFP regs for nontoxic shot and the DU lands are not listed. Thus it would be my opinion that you can use lead shot. But you might what to call the number and person referrenced on the top of the above link just to make sure. If you find anything more out let us know.
 
Thanks for the update, I put in a call yesterday, but hadn't heard back yet. Now, the only issue I have is the majority of the DU land near Ipswich we typically hunt was sold this year!
 
EdgeWater,

I was up to the Goebel Ranch DU Land today and walked around a few quarters looking for grouse. I did find one bunch and managed to harvest one bird over a point by one of my Brittanys. The Goebel Ranch is a huge piece of land. It must cover well over a dozen sections of land. You could hike all day and not cover it. However, not very good pheasant ground but we did kick up 3 roosters. It's mainly pasture with very little crop ground in the area and no food plots that I saw. There does appear to be a few quarters of heavier grassland like CRP. Not where I would head in search for ringnecks. Buts the dogs and myself got some much needed exercise and we also saw some birds. The grouse I took was the first bird harvested with my new Citori White Lighting 16 ga. Plus it was a beautiful morning, temp was around 48 when I arrived at 8:00 AM, just a slight breezeout of the NE and clear sunny skies. A great day to be alive and in the field.

Dakotazeb
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top