HUNTING

Hunting is a part of the Adirondack heritage, and the contemporary Adirondack experience for many. Deer hunting in particular forces a hunter to be exceptionally quiet, careful and observant for hours on end, resulting in sightings and discoveries that can be elusive when engaged in other activities. If successful, the hunter is rewarded with what can be argued is one of the most sustainable sources of food, especially when it comes to deer, which are having a severe impact on ecosystems throughout the northeast. 

Hunting is a very well regulated activity. However there are still some voluntary measures that hunters can take to reduce their impact on the environment and enhance the resource. 

Stewardship Specifics

 A mature central Adirondack buck taken in 2016 with a .308 Barnes VOR-TX copper bullet. A few days later, ravens and an immature bald eagle, were seen near the offal pile. The hunter can share the venison with his toddler and wife without…

 A mature central Adirondack buck taken in 2016 with a .308 Barnes VOR-TX copper bullet. A few days later, ravens and an immature bald eagle, were seen near the offal pile. The hunter can share the venison with his toddler and wife without worry about lead contamination. 

Get the Lead Out

Lead has long been recognized as a toxin and therefore has been banned from numerous products. The recent Flint water crisis is just the most recent reminder of the dangers of lead. However, lead bullets are still used to kill animals that will be consumed by humans, and in many situations, wild animals. Anyone who has butchered a few deer killed with lead bullets knows that they have a tendency to fragment, sending bits of the toxic metal into areas far away from the main wound channel. Finding and removing these fragments is an impossible task, and if one tried it would result in a lot of wasted meat.

Hunters typically leave the offal and other portions of the carcass in the woods, which are utilized by a range of wildlife. However, animals that ingest lead can be poisoned by it, which has proven to be a particular problem for eagles.

Fortunately there is a simple solution - non-toxic bullets, typically made of copper, such as Barnes VOR-TX. These not only are non-toxic, but are very highly rated for ballistics and performance. There are two minor catches with copper bullets - they tend to be a bit more expensive than lead, and can be harder to find, so if you want to make the switch you might want to plan ahead rather than waiting until you're headed to camp to shop for ammunition. 

Voluntary Antler Restrictions

Most deer hunters would prefer to take a mature buck. You can help make this possible by passing on younger bucks, such as spike horns and fork horns. While a common retort of a hunter who has taken a yearling buck is that ‘you can’t eat the horns’ - the fact is that even hunters whose primary focus is on filling a freezer with venison would prefer to take a mature buck. If you see a spike or fork horn, consider passing on him and letting him grow. 

While the NYS DEC has experimented in imposing antler restrictions in some areas, their current focus is on encouraging hunters to pass on yearling bucks. Data suggests that hunters are voluntarily passing on yearling bucks. In 1995, over 70% of bucks taken were yearlings, while in 2015, only 48% of bucks were.

Perhaps voluntary antler restrictions can become the deer hunter's equivalent of catch and release fishing - a measure of restraint widely adopted over time that dramatically enhances the quality of the resource.

Resources and references

Organizations and Sites

Hunting with Non-Lead Ammunition. This site is maintained by hunters associated with the Institute of Wildlife Studies for hunters looking to switch from lead to copper. (Visit)

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The DEC has focused on educating hunters on the benefits of making the switch to non-toxic ammunition. 

  • Ammunition: Non-lead or Lead? Information for Big Game Hunters and Meat Processors. (Visit)
  • High-Tech Bullets and Slugs - Non-Lead Ammunition: A Better Choice. (Visit)
  • Alternative ammo: Good for hunting; great for conservation. (Visit)

Eagles in peril: Lead poses unseen danger to both birds and humans. March 17, 2017. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. (View)

Academic Papers

Bedrosian, Bryan, Derek Craighead, and Ross Crandall. "Lead exposure in bald eagles from big game hunting, the continental implications and successful mitigation efforts." Plos One 7.12 (2012): e51978. (HTML)

Golden, Nancy H., Sarah E. Warner, and Michael J. Coffey. "A Review and Assessment of Spent Lead Ammunition and Its Exposure and Effects to Scavenging Birds in the United States." Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 237. Springer International Publishing, 2016. 123-191. (PDF)

Hunt, W. Grainger, et al. "Lead bullet fragments in venison from rifle-killed deer: Potential for human dietary exposure." PLoS One 4.4 (2009): e5330. (HTML)