Iowa Natural Resources Commission Bans Traditional Ammunition During Dove Season

Earlier today, the Iowa Natural Resources Commission gave final approval to the establishment of a dove season to begin on September 1.  However, the Commission felt it necessary to add an amendment that will now ban the use of traditional ammunition when dove hunting.

The Commission has taken a page straight out of the anti-hunting extremist groups’ playbook to deter hunting through traditional ammunition bans.  Anti-conservation fanatics failed at the federal level after the EPA rejected their lead-ban petition and have now placed their focus on Iowa knowing that doves are the most popular and abundant game bird hunted in America.  This traditional ammunition ban is designed to price hunters out of the market and keep them from taking part in traversing Iowa’s fields and forests after the historic dove hunting legislation passed this year.

The Commission does not cite any scientific studies showing negative effects of traditional ammunition and has simply jumped in the political bed with anti-hunting extremists.  Just look at what Iowa’s DNR Director, Roger Lande, had to say about the ban in the Commission’s press release: “There will be a number of hunters who will be opposed to this decision, but at the end of the day, this action by the commission will help protect Iowa’s environment and wildlife from the adverse affects of lead.”  Dove populations are doing better than ever all while the vast majority of states allow traditional ammunition for dove hunting.

This amendment is the same position the Commission took earlier this year when it attempted to ban the use of lead shot on numerous state and federal wildlife areas across Iowa and said that they would “begin limiting the use of lead for all hunting and fishing on all public areas.”  The Commission is blatantly subverting the will of the legislature, where the state House debated the lead issue and overwhelmingly rejected it.

Also, the Iowa DNR has a section on its website titled “Get the Lead Out” which has language eerily similar to the Center for Biological Diversity (“Get the Lead Out”) campaign – and yes, this is a propaganda piece written by the group that petitioned the EPA to ban all lead and traditional ammunition in America!

The Commission’s first attempt at a traditional ammunition ban was defeated with Governor Terry Branstad’s help, but this amendment has made their intentions clear.  Please contact Governor Branstad today and urge him to once again step in and stop this attack on traditional ammunition.  To contact the Governor, please click here.