MNGOPAC wrote:This past weekend, my son and I enjoyed his first pheasant hunt in Watertown, MN with his brand new .410 break-action shotgun.
I had a bit of sticker shock when I saw the price of shells for his gun.
I'm afraid that price could get much, MUCH higher.
The Minnesota Department of National Resources (MN DNR) has opened up a comment period for proposed rules that would prohibit the use of lead ammunition in Minnesota's 1.3 million acres of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) - and even statewide for certain species of small game.
This prohibition would make hunting two to four times more expensive, without having any measurable benefit on the environment.
You can view the proposed rules at this link.
In 2008, California introduced a lead ammunition ban in an attempt to reduce lead exposure to the California Condor. Despite 99% compliance with the law, the issue of lead levels in wildlife went unchanged. Researchers have since identified that the chief contributing factor was industrial lead usage, rather than lead shot by hunters.
While the Condor's lead levels remained stagnant, the price of hunting ammunition in California skyrocketed.
Don't let that happen here. Your voice is needed NOW!
Take a few minutes and do the following this TODAY:
E-Mail the MN DNR: Send an e-mail to Jason Abraham at
jason.abraham@dnr.state.mn.us and let him know that you're a gun owner, that you oppose any restriction on your right to make the best choice for affordable and high-performing ammunition, and that Minnesota should not taken on proposals that make hunting less accessible.
If you're able, please consider chipping in $10 or $20, or more, to the Minnesota Gun Owners PAC so that we can continue to quell the tide of anti-hunting regulation and legislation in Saint Paul.
We'll continue to monitor this issue in the months ahead and will keep you up to date on the latest developments with the Minnesota DNR.
Thanks for your support.