Chad, you probably know I've got a lot to say about this issue,and I've said it so many times I feel like a tape recorder.

There's absolutely no justification for a lead ammo ban across the state of California. At this point, the ban in the Condor zone hasn't shown any positive effects, and expanding the ban outside of that zone only puts added burdens on everyone for nominal returns.

The justifications used by HSUS and Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) et. al. are largely intentional misrepresentations of existing data, liberally sprinkled with flat-out bullshit.

That said, a little thing like facts doesn't seem to stand in the way of CA passing another law that will hurt hunters. I'd like to think that logic will prevail, but experience to date shows that logic has little to do with it. The HSUS is too deeply embedded in Sacramento, and is obviously driving these issues to suit their agenda.

I hope the CA hunters stand up strong, present a good front, and fight this to a standstill. But my past experience in that state does not give me much hope. Once again, I'm glad I've moved to Texas.

Modern threats to liberty are more sophisticated, sinister and insidious. They invoke truthiness and distort science beyond any reliable or testable boundary in support of a political agenda.

X tragedies are terrible, therefore we must "do something" about them, regardless of whether that "something" is tailored to even address X.

Polls show that (x percent of) Americans support general "common sense" reform on issue Y, therefore we should implement specific plan Z. Opponents are anti common sense.

The "consensus view of scientists" [query whether this one is an oxymoron] reveal A, therefore we should implement B policies regardless of the specific limitations of the A studies, qualifications of the A studies, sample size of the A studies, or other salient factors. Opponents are anti-science.

The stupidity that some people try to pass off as intelligence astounds me. I say we give all the "normal" people in Cali a 2-year grace period to leave before we tease the San Andreas fault line to shove the state into the Pacific. On a more rational note, steel shot for waterfowl is acceptable, but how much is lead from other types of hunting really contributing? Answer: almost nothing.

when will science predict the next massive earthquake for california? i want ring side seats when that miserable state with its miserable politicians fall into the pacific ocean. what a bunch of jackwagons.

Buckhunter, the studies you want are out there. The evidence that lead is having a toxic effect on other carrion eating birds is fairly compelling. It's definitely not significant to the point of population damage, but individual birds are dying. It's something we, as hunters, should all consider, but it's not justification for banning ammo.

As far as mammals, there's some evidence that shows a possible and temporary increase in blood-lead levels among certain animals... most notably, grizzly bears. However there's no indication that the increase is significant enough to cause health damage.

If you honestly do the research, there's an awful lot of stuff to read. It's worth learning, but mostly because only by educating ourselves can we mount an honest and logical counterpoint to the anti-hunters misinformation.