MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E25 - North American Non-Lead Partnership

Today’s episode of Talking Mule Deer features a conversation with the North American Non-Lead Partnership’s Leland Brown (Oregon Zoo) and Chris Parish (The Peregrine Fund). The partnership’s two main functions are to preserve our wildlife conservation and hunting heritage at the same time. They are helping to share information about non-lead alternatives in ammunition for hunters. We talk about this contentious issue and how lead being introduced into the environment can impact non-target wildlife species. Chris tells us about his experience on the voluntary lead ammunition exchange program that he was involved with on the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona to help conserve condors. They talk about the different options in lead free options for both rifle and shotgun ammunition. The non-lead partnership emphasizes that they are not promoting an alarmist message, they are trying to present the information that will allow hunters to make a well-informed decision about their own choices.