October Brent and Scott Thread

[lupara]

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What do you guys think about the countless tons of lead shot that duck hunters have put into our water supply over the years?

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Obviously it sucks. But haven't most places made laws that require steel shot now? I thinks that's been years ago. I remember when I was a little kid my Dad bitching about how much it cost.

That aside, the stuff came out of the ground... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Honestly though I don't know that much about the issue. Have they tested the water supplies and found this to have been a major cause of increased lead? Or did some hippy just say, "Oh my God! Lead! Those sonsabitches!" [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I remember as a kid hearing birds were dying of lead poisoning after being wounded...then they were saying some were eating the shot accidentally and being poisoned. I don't remember ever hearing about it impacting human water supply.

I'd love to hear more about the issue though. Have a good article?

[Blarg]

Nah, they've done a lot of testing and found there's quite a bit of lead even in some pretty out of the way places. I remember talking to a lifelong hunter about it and the problems it was causing, too. There's quite a massive amount of lead out there by now. As of like four or five years ago, it was still an ongoing issue being discussed. It isn't a matter that has been resolved yet, to my knowledge. However, I haven't read about it in a while myself so I have no links, and I haven't kept up on the subject at all. I do remember reading about it in the L.A. Times and here and there online, but not recently.

[MrWookie]

Yeah, lead is nasty stuff. Not only does it cause double-strand breaks in your DNA (the most harmful type of DNA damage, in terms of being both carcinogenic and outright lethal), it can't be broken down in the environment -- it's elemental, after all. Humans have dumped all kinds of nasty [censored] into the environment -- chlorinated phenols, benzene, tritium, and plenty of others -- but many of them will go away given enough time. Lead, mercury, and arsenic are forever.

I've been fascinated by some recent studies showing some pretty strong correlations between reducing lead in the environment -- either by nixing lead paint, leaded gas, or other sources -- and decreases in violent crime. I don't think the exact biochemistry has been worked out yet, but it's certainly something to be mindful of. It's definitely not just a case of a bunch of hippies sitting around a campfire and, between choruses of "Kumbaya," saying "Oh my God! Lead! Those sonsabitches!" I mean, technically, metallic lead isn't harmful, but if it sits in water, it'll oxidize into its toxic ionic form given enough time. Once oxidized, it's virtually destined to pwn something's DNA. Yours? Hopefully not.

[Fishwhenican]

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potentially driving animals to extinction

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For the people who take issue with hunting because of this, you should read an article in this month's National Geographic about how much hunters do for preserving the environment and ensuring this doesn't happen.

According to the article hunters donated $280 million to conservation causes in 2006, in addition to the $1.22 billion for hunting and fishing licenses and $616 million in sales taxes on hunting & fishing equipment that is supposed to be used for wildlife conservation.

In addition hunters founded and have supported a number of the major conservation nonprofits. Hunters have been working on this since long before the hippies took it up.

True hunters are really the last people that want to see animals driven to extinction.

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I can't believe I missed that line!

Thanks Lupara!

The point made is very valid. We would not have most of the wildlife we have now if it were not for Sportsmen. We love our animals and would in no way want them to go away, well maybe with the exception of Wolves and Grizzlies.
Another thing to consider that almost all of the money used in wildlife conservation and funding state wildlife agencies is generated by sportsmen dollars.

[Fishwhenican]

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What do you guys think about the countless tons of lead shot that duck hunters have put into our water supply over the years?

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Lead shot for waterfowl has not been used for a long time. If I remember correctly the reason for the switch had something to do with waterfowl ending up eating the lead shot that would settle to the bottom of the ponds. I am sure lead ended up in the water as well. I am glad they do not use lead shot anymore but I must also admit that steel shot really sucks, more expensive and wounds more birds than if lead were used.

All right, I am off in search of delicious, low fat, dinner!!!

[Blarg]

Very funny cartoon short:

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1322921

[Mrs. Utah]

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Very funny cartoon short:

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1322921

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A friend of mine sent this to me a few days ago.
Very funny. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Blarg]

Did you get the link from your friend, or get it in downloadable form? I want to keep this one but haven't found it downloadable yet.

[Mrs. Utah]

She sent me the downloadable form.