Lead-free conservation
What happens after the shot matters.
A conservation explainer inspired by Ted Williams' “Poison Bullets,” originally published in the September 2023 Big Game issue of Gray's Sporting Journal.
Lead does not disappear when it enters the landscape. It breaks into fragments, moves through food webs, and can turn an otherwise healthy bird into a critical patient.
How raptors are exposed
Eagles, vultures, and other scavengers feed on gut piles, unrecovered game, and carcasses. Tiny fragments of lead ammunition can remain in that tissue, even when they are too small to see or remove.
Why a small dose is serious
Lead affects the nervous and digestive systems. Birds may become weak, uncoordinated, unable to fly, or unable to process food. Treatment is difficult, expensive, and not always successful.
A voluntary solution
Non-lead ammunition and fishing tackle prevent exposure at the source. Hunters and anglers can protect the wildlife that shares the landscape without stepping away from their traditions.