Request to Amend Regulations
Regarding Methods of Take Nonlead Ammunition
Agenda Item 15
Fish and Game Commission
December 3, 2014
Dan Yparraguirre, Wildlife and Fisheries Division
3 Wildlife Resources Committee meetings
13 other workshops and meetings
Today’s request to go to Notice
Discussion in February
Possible Adoption in April
Started the CEQA process
Completed Initial Study and Checklist
Held Public Scoping Meeting
Draft Environmental Document in January
September WRC – handed out draft text
5 technical changes for clarity and consistency:
Moved nontoxic shot language from General
Provisions (c)(2) to Definitions (b)(3).
b) Definitions.
(1) A projectile is any bullet, ball, sabot, slug, buckshot, shot, pellet or other
device that is expelled from a firearm through a barrel by force.
(2) Nonlead ammunition is any centerfire, shotgun, muzzleloading, or rimfire
ammunition containing projectiles certified pursuant to subsection (b)(3) or
subsection (f).
(3) Shotgun ammunition containing pellets composed of materials approved as
nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as identified in Section 507.1 of
these regulations, is considered certified.
(4) A nonlead projectile shall contain no more than one percent lead by weight,
as certified pursuant to subsection (b)(3) or subsection (f).
Revised cross references in General Provisions
to reflect the above change.
(c) General Provisions.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful to possess any
projectile containing lead in excess of the amount allowed in subsection (b)(4)
and a firearm capable of firing the projectile while taking or attempting to take
wildlife.
(2) The possession of a projectile containing lead in excess of the amount
allowed in subsection (b)(4) without possessing a firearm capable of firing the
projectile is not a violation of this section.
Added clarification statement in subsection (d)
(d) Phased Approach to Prohibit the Use of Lead Ammunition for the Take of Wildlife.
The use of lead projectiles is authorized until the effective dates described in
subsections (d)(1), (d)(2), and (d)(3).
Removed the phrase “except as provided in
subsection (c)” from subsections (d)(1), (d)(2),
and (d)(3) since that language occurs under
General Provisions.
Revised cross reference in subsection (d)(2) to
reflect move of language regarding nontoxic
shot to Definitions.
No changes in proposed phasing from
September
2015: Nonlead required for:
Wildlife Areas and Ecological Reserves
Bighorn sheep
2016: Nonlead required for:
Larger (most) game birds, including turkeys
(waterfowl size shot)
Small game mammals (by shotgun)
Non-game, depredation and furbearers (by
shotgun)
Except on Licensed Game Bird Clubs (2019)
2019 - Nonlead would be required for the take
of all wildlife:
All big game
All remaining game birds
Small game mammals (by rifle/handgun)
Non-game, depredation and furbearers (by
rifle/handgun)
Muzzleloaders
Wildlife Society Bulletin DOI: 10.1002/wsb.504
A Comparison of Lead and Steel Shot
Loads for Harvesting Mourning Doves
BRIAN L. PIERCE,1 Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX 77843-2258, USA
THOMAS A. ROSTER, 1190 Lynnewood Boulevard, Klamath Falls, OR 97601,
USA
MICHAEL C. FRISBIE, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
Road, Austin, TX 78744, USA
COREY D. MASON, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
Road, Austin, TX 78744, USA
JAY A. ROBERSON, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School
Road, Austin, TX 78744, USA
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild
/wild/game_management
/dove_summary/
Among 1 lead and 2 steel loads
Using volunteer hunters with unmarked shells
Trained professional observers, who observed:
No differences among shot types in birds bagged or
wounded per shot
No differences among shot types in distance of
birds bagged or wounded
Necropsy analysis:
No differences in 3 measures of killing efficiency
Ammo and choke combinations with higher
pattern density = more effective
Cooperative National
Dove Hunter
Survey
FINDINGS
National Flyway
Council
National Dove Hunter Survey Sample…
 The 26-question survey was sent to randomly selected hunters,
drawn from the Harvest Information Program (HIP) database, in
the 40 states with dove hunting seasons in June 2013.
 Sample size was approx. 800 per state to ensure survey results
are applicable at the national, regional (e.g., Dove Management
Unit (DMU) and state levels.
 30,382 surveys successfully delivered, 12,631 hunters
responded—earning a 41.6% response rate.
 Rounded margin of error for national estimates is 1%, and for
DMU estimates, 2% (95% confidence level).
DOVE HUNTERS ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LEAD ON
THE HEALTH OF DOVES & OTHER WILDLIFE…
Roughly 1 in 5 respondents
answered that concerns about
lead shot consumption by

 Concerned that non-lead
shot cripples doves more
than lead shot (~50%)
wildlife have been explained to
hunters—the other 4 of 5

Think because doves have short
lifespan, lead exposure doesn’t
effect dove populations (40%)

Believe that the U.S. can’t limit
health effects of lead on dove
populations because countries
south of U.S.-Mexico border have
no restrictions (51%)
hunters are either “neutral,”
“don’t know,” or “agree” that
explanation is lacking.
Don’t know if eating lead shot
causes doves to die (~50%)
…Dove hunters believe that hunting
participation would be impacted.
But if
non-lead
shot was
required…
(1) 36% would “probably quit hunting doves if
required to use non-lead shot” (39%
disagreed)
(2) ~50% think requiring non-lead shot would
reduce the number of young people
recruited to hunting
(3) ~50% would probably reduce the number
of trips they take to go dove hunting
Dove hunters mainly get
their info from:
(1) Friends & family (79%)
(2) Magazines (64%)
(3) State wildlife agency (61%)
(4) Internet (58%)
(5) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (47%)
(6) TV (36%)
(7) Sporting goods store (32%)
(8) Newspapers (28%)
(9) Radio (13%)
DOVE HUNTERS TRUST…
AND THEY SORT OF TRUST…
Avid/experienced dove
Medium Level of Trust
hunters to represent the
 Game wardens, hunting
interest of dove hunters
& they rely mostly upon
friends/family and the
organizations, wildlife
biologists, hunting guides,
ammunition manufacturers and
hunting businesses
Internet for hunting
Medium-Low Level of Trust
information.
 Outdoor writers and staff at
sporting goods stores
http://www.fishwildlife.org
/index.php?section=dove-huntersurvey&activator=89
Or type “National Dove Hunter
Survey” in a search engine