- PGC hopes to reduce occurrence of lead poisoning in bald eagles
- Concern that eagles feeding on remains of dispatched deer deposited in open pits on game lands could ingest lead
- Non-toxic .22 ammunition to be used when feasible; lead rounds will still be utilized in certain instances
Could the ammunition that game wardens use to dispatch injured wildlife continue to kill long after the shot was fired?
It’s possible, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission has taken a step to reduce the odds.
Earlier this year, the agency began issuing non-toxic .22 ammunition to game wardens to be used to dispatch injured wildlife. The move replaces the lead ammunition that was traditionally used, and it’s designed to help reduce the incidents of lead toxicity in bald eagles and other avian predators.
And it all connects to the “deer pits.”
Those are the places on game lands where PGC personnel discard carcasses, mainly deer. The open pits often become a magnet for scavengers, including bald eagles, that feast on the remains.
While the deer pits do function as a valuable food source for avian scavengers, they can also be a deadly one. If ingested, the lead fragments from the bullets that dispatched injured deer could also be a killer for eagles as well.
Lead toxicity in eagles is a serious concern in the state. According to the PGC, lead poisoning was discovered in one-third of 228 eagles that were necropsied between 2006 and 2016.
By switching to non-toxic .22 ammunition, the PGC will be depositing a lot less lead into the deer pits, and hopefully eagles as well.
Susan Gallagher, chief naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, applauded the move and said the decision not only benefits eagles, but all scavenging bird species that feed at the deer pits.
The center is one of several facilities in the state that treat eagles for lead poisoning, and the outcomes aren’t always positive. Signs of lead poisoning in eagles can include weakness, lethargy, emaciation, labored respiration and drooping wings.
“The best hope these birds have is in prevention,” Gallagher said. “Treatment is lengthy, costly, and doesn’t always end in release. We treated two eagles for lead in 2018 and neither made it back to the wild. It’s heartbreaking when you know it’s preventable”
Although bald eagles prefer fish, they are opportunistic scavengers. While scavenged food is critical for eagle survival, carcasses can also be a dangerous source of exposure to expended lead ammunition fragments.
Non-recovered game, other animal remains, and offal piles are all primary sources of exposure for eagles in Pennsylvania. The PGC encourages hunters, particularly during deer season, to remove/cover entrails to reduce scavenging by birds.
Game Commission Communications Director Travis Lau said wardens have been instructed to use the non-toxic .22 ammunition when feasible. Lead ammunition will still be used in all sidearms and high-powered rifles and there are instances when non-toxic rounds aren’t an option, such as dispatching a large animal at an extended range.
