South Dakota Lead Ban Proposal Shot Down

At its meeting last week, the South Dakota Fish and Game Commission voted down the proposed ban on the use of lead shot for hunting along roads and rights-of-way.  This issue came about after a private landowner filed a petition with the Game, Fish and Parks Commission to ban lead shot for hunting on public roads and rights-of-ways.  Such a ban would have affected most upland bird hunters.

Commission Chairman Jeff Olson said that the main reason the Commission accepted the petition was to get public comment on this issue. 

No evidence has been submitted showing that road hunting for pheasants or other upland game is causing risks to the health of wildlife populations who feed alongside public roads or rights-of-way.  If this ban had been adopted, it would not have been long before a statewide ban on the use of lead ammunition was imposed.  The landowner-petitioner had stated that he wanted to see lead ammunition banned for all hunting in the state.   

Thank you to all those who contacted the Commission for making your voice heard on such a critical issue that could have affected so many hunters in South Dakota!