Lead ammo and venison Q & A

Lead in Venison FAQ

Q: When did health concerns over lead in venison surface?

A: Health concerns over lead in venison were virtually nonexistent until March 2008 when Dr. William Cornatzer, a Bismarck dermatologist, informed the North Dakota Department of Health that he’d tested 95 one-pound samples of ground venison donated through state food pantries and found lead fragments in 53 of them.

At Cornatzer’s announcement, North Dakota and Minnesota actually disposed of thousands of pounds of venison destined for needy families. Iowa delayed distribution until they could do their own testing, then resumed distribution.

Cornatzer was on the board of directors for the Peregrine Fund, a group that had supported the ban on lead ammunition in California’s condor range. Cornatzer’s announcement was timed just weeks before a the Peregrine Fund was set to hold a conference in May, entitled, “Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans.” Many felt the timing of his announcement was a deliberate attempt to draw attention to the conference.

Q: Do people become ill from eating venison taken with lead ammunition?

A: Hunters have eaten venison taken with lead bullets for hundreds of years. Yet there is not one documented case of lead poisoning from eating deer meat. Doctors are required to report all cases of lead poisoning to CDC, yet according to CDC public health advisor Kimball Credle no cases have ever been traced to wild game meat.

Q: What studies have been conducted on lead levels in humans caused by eating venison?

A: At the request of the North Dakota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tested blood lead levels in 738 residents of that state. Results were released in November 2008, and not one individual tested had levels considered elevated. According to CDC, blood levels are considered “elevated” in children when they are above 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood; and in adults 25 micrograms per deciliter. The highest level in the whole CDC test was 9.8 micrograms per deciliter.

The geometric mean of the CDC study of 1.17 micrograms per deciliter was lower than the geometric mean of lead in the overall U.S. population (1.60 micrograms per deciliter). More than 86 percent of the people in the CDC test reported eating more than one type of wild game.

The lead levels of children under 6 – those who the Minnesota Dept. of Health deems ‘the most at risk,’ had a mean of just 0.88 micrograms per deciliter of blood. That’s just one part per billion and less than half the national average.

Q: Has anyone other than CDC conducted tests on blood lead levels in humans?

A: The Iowa State Dept. of Health has tested blood-lead levels since 1992, in 500,000 youths and 25,000 adults. They have not found one single case lead poisoning from wild game.

Q: Why did Minnesota x-ray all the meat donated for its venison distribution program?

A: In 2008, Minnesota hunters donated about 25,000 pounds of deer meat for the state’s food sharing programs. Random testing of that meat conducted by the state’s Dept. of Agriculture found that 5.3 percent of the meat had “ lead fragments.” So even though 95 percent of the meat tested contained no lead, the state made a decision to round up all 25,000 pounds of the meat, ship it to Twin Cities, and X-Ray every bit of it before they distributed it to any food banks or get it to people who are hungry.

There are several problems with this decision:

• It cost the taxpayer about $6,000 to have the meat tested by an outside contractor. Not a huge amount, but certainly an unnecessary expense.
• It caused an unnecessary delay getting the meat to the families who needed it.
• It contributes to increased calls for restrictions or bans on lead ammunition. The Humane Society of the United States has called for a total ban on lead ammunition, and they are the most radical anti-hunting group in the country. A ban on lead ammunition would force hunters to buy alternatives (such as copper) which tend to be much harder to find, and ultimately cause some people to actually drop out of hunting.
• Non-lead ammunition is more expensive than lead. In one online example, we found Winchester .270 130-gr. lead bullets selling for $18.99 for 20; a similar copper load—Federal’s all-copper triple shock Barnes 130-gr bullet—sells for $44.99.
• Finally, this inconsequential random testing led Minnesota state officials to consider eliminating their venison donation program. That has two consequences: fewer hungry families will receive the lean, high-protein meals they’ve been getting, and fewer deer will be taken throughout the state. One of the things a venison donation program does is allow hunters to legally harvest more deer than they might be able to fit in their own freezer. Ultimately, this can have a bad affect on a state’s deer management.
• The testing decision also raises the question: Since CDC is the leading authority on public health issues, why is a state government agency ignoring it?
• While no nationwide figures are available state Hunters for the Hungry programs generate tons of lean, nutritious deer to hungry American families Wisconsin alone in 2007 collected 414,000 pounds, and Iowa collected 326,650 pounds the same year.

Q: Are other states eliminating Hunters for the Hungry programs because of lead issues?

A: No. Despite knee-jerk reactions over lead in venison by a few states, virtually all state DNRs publicly called on hunters to continue donating venison to Hunters for the Hungry programs.

Q: Has anyone actually called for a ban on lead ammunition, based on human health concerns?

• The Humane Society of the United States has called for a complete ban on all lead ammunition.
• Minnesota State Representative Sandy Masin has announced her intent to introduce a ban or significant restrictions on lead ammunition.
• The Wildlife Society advocated the replacement of lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle use and production with non-lead products.
• North Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger Program began accepting only deer killed with arrows.

Q: What are the consequences of a ban on lead ammunition?

A: Restrictions or bans on the use of lead ammunition may ultimately drive people out of hunting. Non-lead ammunition can cost double what lead ammunition costs, and availability is much more limited. Reducing the number of hunters reduces the income generated by the sale of hunting licenses—a major source of funding for game and fish departments, has a negative impact on wildlife management, and imposes economic losses on hunting-related businesses. In Minnesota alone in 2006, hunting-related retail sales totaled $637,270,173. Minnesota hunters also generated $75,882,194 in state taxes, plus $86,158,974 in federal tax revenues.

Contributions to food banks will also suffer. For example, donations to Minnesota’s Food bank program fell off dramatically. Hunters donated 2000 deer in 2007, compared to 675 in 2008. Minnesota state officials are considering terminating the venison donation program, which would deprive thousands of needy families lean, protein-rich meals.

Q: What guidelines should I follow when handling or processing deer?

A: There are common sense guidelines anyone can follow:

· Cut away all shot-damaged meat

· Cut away a generous portion of meat around the wound channel.

· Don’t attempt to wash away lead fragments—it may just spread them more.

· Wash hands, face and clothing after shooting or reloading ammunition.

· Pregnant women and children under six have been cautioned not to ingest any lead at all for years.

Filed under: Legislation by Scout