Use Legal Loads for Waterfowl

As cooler weather begins to inspire waterfowl hunters, Idaho conservation officers know they will still have to write tickets for illegal shotshell use. Non-toxic shot has been required in all duck and goose hunting for more than a decade but some hunters cling to the use of lead pellets. The change was made nationwide after studies concluded that spent lead shot was poisoning millions of puddle ducks where heavy gunning allowed lead pellets to build up. At least one recognized study done since lead was banned found that the new law has been effective in saving at least two million ducks from lead poisoning each year. Soft iron shot, commonly called steel shot, was the only alternative to lead shot for several seasons after lead was no longer legal for waterfowling. Many hunters objected that steel shot was not as effective and damaged older, sometimes classic, favorite shotguns. Other hunters found steel's limited effective range (steel is less dense than lead and loses its retained energy more quickly, generally by about 45 yards) to be offset by higher velocities and more consistent patterning. Several alternatives to steel have entered the market and been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in recent years. Some of the new pellets are safe to use in old shotguns, some are claimed to be superior to the best lead loads. The disadvantage is that all are more expensive than steel shot. New loadings for steel shot may find acceptance from reluctant hunters. Without causing excessive chamber pressures, some of the new steel shot loads are considerably faster than previous offerings, a feature intended to overcome steel's problem with retaining adequate energy. Whatever alternative to lead shot a hunter may choose, the only legal choice is anything but lead. Fish and Game as well as federal wildlife authorities will continue to cite those found hunting waterfowl while in possession of lead shot. To avoid the possibility of problems, lead shot should not be anywhere easily accessible to the hunter in pursuit of waterfowl. Idaho hunters are still permitted to use the powered, rotary-winged decoys that have been restricted or banned in some other western states.