[Buckmark]

I just came from a moose hunt in zone 5 in CB. We were 16 km from the main road and there were 2 eagles at this one kill site we came upon. All kinds of birds, actually. They all looked extremely healthy. Am I convinced it's the gut piles that are causing the eagles to die ???? I don't believe it for a minute. My group took a big bull ... (copper bullet was used by the shooter, by the way) .... and when you look at whats left after the processing .... my guess there aren't many lead fragments left. Most gets packed out of the woods. ..... as far as male dairy calves .... I really doubt many farmers "just kill them". Most go to market as bob calves to be finished for veal. The ones farmers dispose of, are usually sick. The dairy farmers i know use a captive bolt to euthanize sick animals.

 

[Buckmark]

No offence taken, Ghost. We all have an opinion on this subject, and obviously, ours differ.

 

[Buckmark]

Slightly off topic ... but apparently there was a post on Facebook where a group of people rescued a Bald Eagle that appears to have been shot with bird shot. WTF is wrong with some people ??? It's bad enough that hunters are the blame for these birds ingesting lead from gut piles... but this really gives hunters a bad rap. BTW .... the eagle is in the hands of "Hope for Wildlife". Hopefully it will make a full recovery.

 

[Buckmark]

There is a possibility that eagles would / could ingest lead fragments from hunters bullets. Anything is possible.... but to solely blame hunters for the eagles demise, is just wrong. California has banned lead bullets almost 15 years ago ... and guess what ????? The condors are still dying of lead poisoning !!!! GHOST .... Anyone who is a hunter KNOWS that deer season opened on September 23rd (almost 5 weeks earlier than general season) this year. Are you saying that the lead from muzzleloaders is safer and not as toxic as the lead in the bullets used during the general season ??? Why aren't the eagles dying of lead poisoning during the month prior to the opening of general season ?? Why are we only seeing this after the opening day of the general season ?? I'll tell you why .... because the animal activists don't have a clue. They are anti-hunting and animal lovers and their lack of knowledge towards hunting seasons show this. Why aren't we seeing anything about dying eagles during the remainder of the year ????? ..... because it doesn't fit in with their anti-hunter, animal lover, tree hugging agenda.

 

[Buckmark]

I have said it before in a previous post. I don't think anyone is denying the fact that an eagle could get lead poisoning from a gut pile. Anything is possible. To put the blame solely on hunters is part of the anti's agenda. They don't want hunters in the woods ...period !! .... and as I said in that same post ... lead bullets were banned in California since 2006 ... thats almost 15 years.... and condors ARE STIIL dying from lead poisoning. Time to stop blaming the hunters !!! If we are forced to switch to copper bullets ... I will be ready, as I bought 2 boxes just in case the animal activists get their way. Until then ... I will continue to use my copper coated lead bullets.

 

[Buckmark]

Ghost .... lead bullets are not banned, as of now, in Nova Scotia. They are in California. Are you saying people in California are still using lead bullets ???? Is there proof to back up that statement ?? If you read my post ... you will see I that I have 2 boxes of Barnes COPPER bullets for when "you people" get your way and lead bullets are banned. If that becomes a reality some day ... I WILL switch to the copper bullets. Nowhere in my post, do I say that I will continue to use lead bullets if they are someday banned. The condors are still struggling to survive because they are getting lead from other sources. Hypothetically .... if lead bullets are banned in Nova Scotia... and eagles are still dying ... will hunters "like me" be blamed because "you people" think that hunters will not follow the rules when it comes to using copper bullets ???

 

[Buckmark]

Ghost .... apology accepted. Just to clarify ... dairy calves are born all throughout the year to ensure the farmers maintain their milk quota.

 

[Buckmark]

I don't even know why this eagle thing is even an issue. Went to Kentville / canning yesterday, and there were more eagles than crows. They were everywhere !! The sick and dying eagles are the proverbial "cash cow" that keep a lot of these rehabilitation centres afloat. The soft hearted public keep pouring the money in to help these birds.