2013-14 Arizona Hunting Regulations - Arizona Game and Fish ...

Condor Country: Why Non-lead Ammunition?Hunters are helpingFor the past five years, 80 to 90 percent of fallhunters have participated in the Department’svoluntary lead reduction program by using nonleadammunition or removing gut piles from thefield in the condor’s core range.The hunting community should be proud of thisaccomplishment, but we still need more huntersto help. Please help us prove to our criticsthat we can solve this problem on our ownand that mandatory measures are not needed.Hunters who use non-lead ammunition in condorrange carry on sportsmen’s proud traditionof wildlife conservation. If you choose to uselead ammunition, you can still help by removingyour entire game carcass (including smallgame and varmints) and gut pile from the field.Local landfills accept and bury animal remains.Hunters praise non-lead bulletsCopper bullets have superior penetration, areless toxic, and do not fragment like lead. 93percent of hunters say that non-lead bulletsperform as well as or better thanlead bullets on game. Non-leadshot and frangible bullets also areavailable for varmint and smallgame hunting.Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death in condors and the main obstacle to a selfsustainingpopulation. There are currently 79 free-flying condors in Arizona and Utah. At least22 condors have died from lead poisoning — including three in 2012. Several had lead shotand bullet fragments in their digestive tract. More than 450 cases of lead exposure have beendocumented in the condor population since 1999.Big Game SeasonsThe Arizona Game and Fish Departmentand our partners ask you to be part of the solutionby using non-lead ammunition whenhunting in condor country (Game ManagementUnits 9, 10, 12A, 12B, 13A, and 13B).These sportsmen’s groups ask you to use nonleadammunition in condor range:• Arizona Deer Association• Arizona Elk Society• Arizona Antelope Foundation• Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society• Arizona Chapter of the National WildTurkey FederationHunters drawn for hunts in condor rangewill be mailed more information beforetheir hunt.Lead bullet fragments remain in game carcasses and gut piles left in the field by hunters.These X-rays show hundreds of lead fragments (fragments appear bright white in X-ray) in adeer carcass and gut pile. Condors are group feeders, so several birds can ingest fragmentsfrom one carcass or gut pile containing lead.Studies have concluded that lead shot and bullet fragments found in game carcasses and gutpiles are the main source of lead in condors. To learn more about the condor program andfor a complete list of non-lead ammunition available, visit: www.azgfd.gov/condor.Lead varmint and small game ammunitionalso fragments significantly. Thisx-ray of a coyote illustrates the amountof lead (bright white fragments) left inthe carcass. Each spring condor leadexposures increase as they forage onanimal remains left in the field by hunters.Hunters can help by either usingnon-lead ammunition OR removingALL varmint and small game carcassesfrom the field.2013-14 Arizona Hunting Regulations 67