Author Topic: prairie dogs and lead (Read 2283 times)

anweis · « **on:** March 26, 2007, 06:08:07 AM »

You guys might want to consider using full metal jacket bullets for prairie dogs.

Journal of Wildlife Management, 2007
Article: pp. 103–108 | Full Text | PDF (143K)
Recreational Shooting of Prairie Dogs: A Portal for Lead Entering Wildlife Food Chains
JONATHAN N. PAULI1,a, STEVEN W. BUSKIRKb
a Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
b Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
Although lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting in North America, some predators continue to exhibit elevated lead burdens, which has been attributed to ingesting metallic lead from other projectiles. Few studies have investigated residual lead fragments in hunted upland animals. Therefore, specific portals for lead entering wildlife food chains remain largely unknown. Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are shot for recreation with minimal regulation in western North America. Because recreational shooters mostly use expanding bullets and rarely remove or bury carcasses, shot prairie dogs could make lead accessible to predators and scavengers. To determine whether and to what degree shot prairie dogs carry lead fragments, we analyzed carcasses shot by recreational shooters with 2 bullet types. Bullet type influenced the probability of bullet fragments being retained in carcasses; 87% of prairie dogs shot with expanding bullets contained bullet fragments, whereas 7% of carcasses shot with non-expanding bullets did. The amount of bullet fragments per carcass also differed between bullet types; carcasses shot with expanding bullets contained a mean of 228.4 mg of the lead-containing bullet core and 74.4 mg of the copper-alloy jacket, whereas carcasses shot with non-expanding bullets averaged only 19.8 mg of the core and 23.2 mg of the jacket. Lead fragments in carcasses shot with expanding bullets were small in size; 73% of all lead mass in each carcass was from fragments that weighed <25 mg each, small enough to be easily ingested and absorbed by secondary consumers. The amount of lead in a single prairie dog carcass shot with an expanding bullet is potentially sufficient to acutely poison scavengers or predators. Therefore, shot prairie dogs may provide an important portal for lead entering wildlife food chains and may pose risks to raptors and carnivores. Managers should consider measures, such as using non-expanding or lead-free ammunition, to reduce the likelihood of lead consumption and poisoning in upland wildlife.
Keywords: Cynomys, ecotoxicology, environmental toxicology, hunting, lead, poisoning, prairie dog, predators, shooting
DOI: 10.2193/2005-620
1 E-mail: jpauli@uwyo.edu

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2007, 06:14:33 AM »

The entire study can be read here...

http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/buskirk/Publications/pauli%20and%20buskirk%202007%20Pb.pdf

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2007, 11:22:12 AM »

Now if only Oklahoma would make it legal to shoot full metal jackets. Thats the purpose of the expanding bullet,is to explode on impact,and destroy itself.There's not to many places that they will allow the full metal jackets because of ricohets. Digger

anweis · « **Reply #3 on:** March 26, 2007, 11:53:48 AM »

Quote from: Ditchdigger on March 26, 2007, 11:22:12 AM

There's not to many places that they will allow the full metal jackets because of ricohets. Digger

There are three options: ban prairie dog shooting (unpopular option), allow full metal jacket bullets (unsafe options), or come up with a lead free bullet, like they use in Sweden.

Wingman26 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 26, 2007, 12:57:07 PM »

Full metal jacket ammo would mean wounded animals suffering, so that really isn't a great option.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 26, 2007, 01:01:43 PM »

Most of these greenie types that push this kind of legislation wouldn't mind the ricichets.Alot of them put the life of an animal above a human.

anweis · « **Reply #6 on:** March 26, 2007, 02:12:43 PM »

Quote from: billy_56081 on March 26, 2007, 01:01:43 PM

Most of these greenie types that push this kind of legislation wouldn't mind the ricichets.Alot of them put the life of an animal above a human.

Not, just at the same level.

How about bullets made of compressed metal powder and copper jacketed? If it works on moose, it can be adapted for prairie dogs.

You need to understand that you are not the only ones interested in natural resources. In fact, prairie dog shooters are a tiny proportion of outdoorsmen. Birders outnumber you hundreds of times. If those animals getting intoxicated by ingesting lead poisoned prairie dogs matter to someone, there you have it, it's politics.

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #7 on:** March 26, 2007, 02:45:09 PM »

Every PD shoot I've been to someone always wants to check out the kills. Guess what,out of 100 kills you might find 3 bodies. The others drag them into the burrows and some of the locals say they eat them. Full metal jackets are just plain dangerous in this open country. I guess the dove,quail and pheasant hunters will have to change there loads also. Digger

tuck2 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2007, 02:43:59 AM »

If you watch prairie dogs , they eat the dead prairie dogs and also drag the dead ones into their holes. Very few are eaten by other animals or birds. I live in prairie dog country and have to drive three miles to shoot and watch them. I have shot prairie dogs since 1949 when I got my first 22 rifle. When shot with a rim fire a lot of them will get back into their holes while the ones shot with a center fire may not. The person who made the study should look at all the facts.

jason burns · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2007, 08:21:55 AM »

What about the wolf 55gr hp that is steel? I got 1000 rounds by "accident" thinking it was still made with copper! Has anyone used it on dogs?

anweis · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2007, 10:37:47 AM »

Quote from: tuck2 on March 28, 2007, 02:43:59 AM

If you watch prairie dogs , they eat the dead prairie dogs

rodents don't eat meat, certainly not large amounts.

hellacatcher · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2007, 12:40:31 PM »

I have seen rats eat about everything even alot of meat and each other. The last I heard they where rodents. What few times I have PD shooting I have seen em drag dead ones back into holes.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2007, 01:09:40 PM »

Rodents do eat meat! Protein wherever they can find it. Many animals that u think are not carnivorous love a feast of meat. Chickens love hunting and eating mice lizards and snakes, wild hogs will actually hunt other animals, chimps also hunt at times, cattle will eat meat or fish if hungry, a mother mouse when her home is under threat will eat her babys to not waste the protien, Rats love to dine on mice, bugs frogs and other small critters if they catch them or come apon them dead. And yes prairie dogs do eat the dead ones left laying after a shoot.

Datil · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2007, 02:10:08 PM »

I have been catching mice in my feed container, 15 mice in the last week,
1 completely ate up except head and skin, 1 wasn't ate on all the rest had
some ate on. tell rodents don't eat meat and i will call you uninformed,
So what if coyotes get lead from eating shoot . Marv.

billy_56081 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2007, 06:59:51 PM »

Also I have seen those ground squirrels out in South West Colorado dining on roadkill.

Scootter · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2007, 01:37:15 PM »

PD do eat their own and any other roadkill that is around. I see them everyday dining on whatever is dead in the road. If they aren't quick enough they become the next meal. I got two today.

Next opinion. Who cares if the preditors are getting elivated lead levels? I will shoot on site any coyote I see and I am itching for them to delist the wolf. I'm hoping to take a trip to Alaska next year and wolf is high on my list of animals to take while I am there. I don't care what their lead level is when I give them the final good night pill.

Another opinion. Who cares if a PD suffers after the shot as long as it ends up dead. I don't care that mice and rats live stuck in my traps until I can finish them. A PD is just another rodent spreading germs and messing up good grazing land. The explosions from a good hollow point are fun to watch, but if all I have is FMJ I'll use it. That's where "be sure of your target and what is beyond it" comes into play. It's legal to use FMJ here in Utah and the stuffs cheap. $80 for 250 rounds means a good day of shooting.

Scootter

Datil · « **Reply #16 on:** March 30, 2007, 01:50:12 PM »

Scooter, Welcome to GBO forums You just made a good post, Just what I wanted to
say. Those animals & rodents & others including skunks possums, coons get lead
poison Just to bad, If they die of a slow to bad. Oh! I forgot wild hogs.
Marv.

NONYA · « **Reply #17 on:** March 30, 2007, 03:24:13 PM »

Ive been feeding them a steady diet of lead for 20+ years,they seem to have overcome these myths of lead poisoning,maybe we just have lead resistant critters up here in the big sky.

pills · « **Reply #18 on:** April 09, 2007, 09:51:58 AM »

Quote from: Ditchdigger on March 26, 2007, 11:22:12 AM

Now if only Oklahoma would make it legal to shoot full metal jackets. Thats the purpose of the expanding bullet,is to explode on impact,and destroy itself.There's not to many places that they will allow the full metal jackets because of ricohets. Digger

Where did you find something that said you can't use FMJ in OK?

pills · « **Reply #19 on:** April 09, 2007, 10:06:23 AM »

PRAIRIE DOG REGULATIONS http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/regs/huntregs10.htm#PRAIRIE_DOG_REGULATIONS

License Requirements
Resident: Annual hunting or combination license, any lifetime hunting or lifetime combination license, youth hunting or youth combination license, senior citizen hunting or senior citizen combination license, a fishing and hunting legacy permit or proof of exemption.
Nonresident: Nonresident annual or five-day nonresident hunting license, nonresident lifetime hunting or nonresident lifetime combination license, a fishing and hunting legacy permit or proof of exemption.

Public Lands
Prairie dog hunting is closed on all Department-owned or managed lands.

Shooting Hours
One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset.

Legal Means of Taking
Shotgun (conventional or muzzleloading), rifle (conventional or muzzleloading), handgun, archery equipment, legal raptors, hand-propelled missile, air-propelled missile, slingshot and as otherwise provided under General Hunting Regulations.

Hunter Orange
When youth antlerless deer gun, deer muzzleloader, deer gun, special antlerless deer gun seasons (in open zones), elk gun (in open counties) and antelope (in open areas) occur, all prairie dog hunters must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline consisting of hunter orange.

Dates & Open Areas
Open year-round, except it shall be unlawful to hunt, take or attempt to take prairie dogs from dark to daylight with the aid of any artificial light and any sight dog.

Limits
No daily, season or possession limit.

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #20 on:** April 09, 2007, 11:01:56 AM »

Pills the last time I talked to a game warden ,shooting anything with fullmetal jacketed bullets was against the rules and reg.'s . Digger

pills · « **Reply #21 on:** April 09, 2007, 11:31:35 AM »

After searching Title 29 and not finding anything I called the state. Spoke with David in the law enforcement division. He said while it is not adviseable it is not illegal. He also mentioned something about hunting PD being illegal on school land. He mentioned something about some folks getting in trouble doing it near Hooker. Thought that was worth mentioning.

Ya'll be safe and have fun.