Hollister
– Pinnacles Monument staff, regional wildlife experts and
representatives from the hunting industry will be encouraging local
hunters to
”
get the lead out
”
of their bullets and help save the California condors that make
their home in the area.
Hollister – Pinnacles Monument staff, regional wildlife experts and representatives from the hunting industry will be encouraging local hunters to “get the lead out” of their bullets and help save the California condors that make their home in the area.
“Basically we just want people to come out and see what’s going on with these copper bullets,” said Blake McCann, wildlife biologist with the Institute for Wildlife Studies, one of the organizations putting on the event.
In early July, five of the 11 free-flying condors in and around Pinnacles were discovered to have elevated levels of lead in their bloodstreams, and Condor 307 was so sick staff had to administer emergency treatments, injecting calcium into the bird to help her system flush out the poison.
Despite their large size, condors are scavengers and feed almost exclusively off carrion. Landowners on property neighboring the Pinnacles often shoot squirrels, rabbits, wild pigs and other pests to maintain population control, but if they use lead bullets condors can become poisoned when they eat the carcass. In large enough doses, the lead will eventually paralyze and kill the birds.
“It isn’t just the condors we’re worried about, even though they’re the most visible right now,” said Carl Brenner, Supervisor of Interpretation and Education for Pinnacles. “Lots of other things feed on creatures that have been shot, lots of raptors and vultures.”
Nine condors have died of lead poisoning and some form of lead poisoning treatment has been administered to condors 80 times since reintroduction efforts began in the early ’90s, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Pinnacles staff and nature advocates have been encouraging hunters and landowners to use copper bullets instead of lead, minimizing the danger to scavenging condors. While the monument’s neighbors have been receptive to the message, and many are excited about the condors’ presence in the area, switching from lead to copper bullets really is easier said than done.
“There are a number of limitations to using lead bullets that we’re trying to address,” McCann said. “One of those is expense – copper bullets are generally more expensive than lead.”
The basic material used to fashion copper bullets is eight times more expensive than lead. As a result, a box of copper bullets will cost about as much as a box of high-end lead bullets.
The other problem is that there are very few varieties of copper bullet available – the first was manufactured in the late 1980s – though more and more manufacturers are wising up and coming out with new lines.
“You could have two guns just off the assembly line, exactly the same, and they still wouldn’t be exactly the same,” McCann said.
Hunters and sportsmen find that a particular type of bullet works particularly well in their gun, and it can be very difficult for them to switch if they have to put up with sub-par performance.
“I think some people may have been under the impression that we were telling them what to do, and that’s not what this is about at all,” Brenner said. “We don’t want to force anyone to do anything. We want to work together to solve this problem, and this is one way to do that.”
The public is invited to this weekend’s exposition to bring their own guns and ammo, and then have a chance to try out copper bullets for free, just to see if they like it.
If they do, wildlife officials are hopeful local sportsmen will in turn purchase copper bullets from retailers or on the Internet, and are hoping to get a program in place that will help cover some of the cost.
“I don’t know if we can get free bullets, but we hope we can offer them at a lower cost, so that it will be easier to purchase them,” McCann said.
The Exhibition is from 10 am to 2pm Sunday at the Monterey County Swiss Rifle Club on La Gloria Rd, just outside of Soledad. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Those attending are encouraged to bring their guns and ammo, as well as protective gear, to participate in the demonstrations.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
