California bans .22 rimfire use in condor areas

It’s no big deal, right? California appears to be executing a well thought out plan. After all, there’s no need to deal with the fuss of constitutional rights if you want to ban firearms, just make the ammunition difficult to find or expensive. Then only the ruling elite will be able to afford the shooting sports, which is how they want it.

What's the lamebrained theory behind this one...that condors eat lead pellets and die?

On this past Saturday I was at a meeting where three
people closely connected to this issue spoke.
We came to a couple of preliminary conclusions.

1) The report adopted by CA Fish & Game as the
"factual basis" behind the legislation specifically
states there is no known connection between lead
bullets and condor lead poison problems. Do
not confuse those in power with the facts.

2) Lead fishing weights are next on the list.
Expect them to be eliminated in a matter of weeks.

3) There is no clear exemption for things like
predation permits. So if a bear or cougar eats
a child in the effected zone, apparently
archery is the only valid method of pursuit!
Forget about shooting a coyote attacking livestock.

4) The law is strict. There are no "Lead Free"
bullets. Down at the one part per billion
level, there is lead in most alloys. The
existing copper bullets and shot alloys are not
Lead Free.

5) The most likely "Lead Free" metallic bullets
are made from highly refined gold, as it might
be pure enough to be "Lead Free".

Silver bullet, Keemo-Sabe...that what kill great bird who feeds on settlers' children.

Thanks, Tonto.

Start shooting those damn birds and help them out of their beleagered existance. Without massive infusions of money and stupidity on the part of the State, they would have died out decades ago.

Quoted from SCI:

"Despite the strong opposition of SCI and other sporting groups, the California Fish and Game Commission expanded a statutory ban on the use of lead ammunition in condor "range" in central and southern California (about a 1/3 to 1/4 of the State). Lead ammunition is now prohibited in condor range for all big game (e.g., deer, elk, bear, wild pig) and non-game birds and mammals (e.g., crow, coyote, ground squirrels). While the legislative ban recently passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger did not include non-game bird and mammals (other than coyote) and did not cover rimfire firearms, the regulatory ban covers all of these. Most troubling, the regulatory ban covers .22 caliber rimfire rifles, used mainly for small game. Currently, no nonlead ammunition exists for this firearm. In addition, the State's environmental review concluded that nongame bird and mammal carcasses do not represent a significant threat to the condor. The regulatory ban tracks the statutory ban's definition of condor "range" to include large areas of historic range where no condors currently exist. Consistent with SCI's comments, the Commission did define nonlead ammunition as allowing up to 1% lead, as currently available nonlead ammunition contains trace amounts of lead. Under the statute, the Commission must establish procedures to certify nonlead ammunition and a coupon reimbursement program if private funds can be found. Finally, the Commission established that mere possession of uncertified (i.e., leaded) ammunition and a firearm capable of discharging it in condor "range" is a violation of the law punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. The lead ammunition ban goes into effect on July 1, 2008. "

Can the police carry lead ammunition or are only the citizens banned from possession of it?

Depleted unranium, perhaps?

Anything remotely as dense as DU rounds would probably be considered armor piercing and also illegal.

Oh Lord help us.

You Peta Antis make me sick. How I would love to put you on the front lines so you can do your part in defending this great free country. Maybe then you opinion will matter to some. I swear, This country has had hunting going since before any one alive today. Seems to me you idiotic lead haters should be looking at the human death toll from drunk drivers, smoking, aids, etc...... and so on. Instead you show the love, dedication and money for a freaken bird.

If I lived in Ca. as years ago, your Law would not have any effect on me. How about your bone headed Govener reimbursing every shooter and hunter for his lead so they can by the copper rounds. Liberals have there way, you will be screweed.

Jst stay away from the mid west, we do not want you or your opinions.

Dave

I am a biologist that lives in the sierra foothills about 200 yards from a "buzzard"(vulture) roost. In the 28 years that I have observed them, not one has ever died at the roost. I'm sure they have eaten lead in dead animals. Where is the REAL SCIENCE in this condor flap ! Also, in 50+ years of hunting and fishing in the Fresno/Madera county mountain area I have NEVER seen a California Condor yet the area is included in the no-lead zone. Again, Where is the science ?................ Politics ?

Ive been hunting ca for 40 years. there is no real science to this condor thing.ive been from the top of this state to the bottom and never seen one.so if they cant get our guns they go after our ammo i think all the hunters in this state should not buy a deer tag next year.

I am truly at a loss here folks. I have served our country, in these great states and abroad. Have been a target shooter for a while and although I have never been on a hunt of any kind so far. Now that I have made the decision to do so. I am being told that I can not, unless I use this CA. approved ammunition in a CA. approved rifle/handgun, in most of southern CA.. I now change my first statement. I am truly appalled. How can a person hunt for small game (rabbit) using a .22rimfire. You can't. From what I have read there is no available round for these fire arms that is legal to hunt with. Seriously though, I am glad I started the research now for next years season. As I think I will Be hunting (please read as, spending lots of monies)in another state that does not have so many restriction on a rather safe competitive sport.

I just wanted to say that I am disappointed with this as all the hunters I know are also some of the most responsible people I know.

Thanks for listening

Condors are much more sensitive to lead than vultures and most other birds. I participated in studies done in the 80's that looked at condor lead sensitivity and the science is there. Each year condors die or have to be hospitalized and treated for lead poisoning due to ingestion of lead picked up from gut piles or gun shot carcasses of hunted animals that were not clean kills and got away from the hunter. It seems a small thing to ask shooters not to use an environmental toxin as ammo in order to help save a species on the brink of extinction.

I understand that to most people having condors or not having condors is irrelevant to their lives, so why not use lead ammo and help finish the last stragglers of the species off? Most modern Americans don't really have much contact or appreciation with the natural world and would never know the difference. But hunters are people who get out into the more wild areas still remaining and some of them better understand the complex relationships between different species of plants and animals and, yes, even humans and know that it is impossible to pull one piece out of the puzzle without affecting others.

Nobody is talking about taking guns away from anyone. This is simply about changing to a different ammo. Inconvenient? Yes. More expensive? Yes. Sorry. Too much to ask or people? Apparently yes for some. I understand the logic of gun rights advocates not yeilding an inch in any regard to any legislation affecting any aspect of gun rights. But this is the same fundamentalism that leads to excesses we've seen too much of lately. Fortunately, we still live in a pleuralistic society, so you will just have to suck it up for now. Flame away....