Colorado Hunting

During the 2023 legislative session, the state's Democrat lawmakers sent a clear message that they are determined to push gun control legislation due to an increase in violent crimes. One legislator has decided to go after the type of bullets that are used in firearms due to the threat to the environment lead bullets cause.

The idea of replacing toxic lead bullets with ammo made out of metals like copper is one that has been tossed around for the last decade. Some argue that hunters and target shooters should be required to shoot with bullets other than lead because of the evidence surrounding the harm it can cause to the ecosystem. Others think that bullet replacement is just one step further to outlawing or restricting hunting and it is another means of gun control.

Many states have considered enacting laws that would ban lead bullets and force hunters and shooters to use non-toxic ammunition. California started going after lead bullets in 2013 and then imposed a statewide ban on them in 2019.

However in Colorado, one proposed bill would not ban the so-called toxic bullets, but it would put a program in place to encourage the use of non-toxic types of ammo.

At the start of this year's legislative session, Democrat Representative Barbara McLachlan who represents Archuleta, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan counties was the sole sponsor of House Bill 23-1036 called "Nontoxic Bullet Replacement Program." The bill plans to create measures that will encourage the use of non-toxic bullets for hunting.

The proposed bill would create a statewide non-toxic bullet replacement program for hunters. The bill would essentially set up a system where hunters could exchange hunting, reloading, or muzzleloader lead rounds with non-lead bullets.

The bill puts the program into the hands of the state's Division of Parks and Wildlife to direct an entity to run the program. The entity directed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) would be required to educate the public about the benefits of non-toxic bullets and publicize the program to hunters using hunting brochures and the CPW website.

Over the last several years, evidence has shown that when hunters use lead bullets, there is a negative impact on the food chain. As most hunters know, when lead bullets hit an animal they shatter and fragments of the bullet spread into the meat.

When the hunter cuts the meat from the animal chunks of lead gets left in the carcass and then birds that prey on dead animals can contract lead poisoning. Lead can also be harmful to humans as some fragments could still exist in the meat when it gets eaten.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, a handful of groups petitioned the U.S. Department of Interior to take steps to phase out the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle in national wildlife refuges.

"The evidence is compelling that Secretary (Deb) Haaland (of the U.S. Department of the Interior) must take the commonsense step of phasing out toxic lead ammo and fishing tackle on our national wildlife refuges," said Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Switching to lead substitutes can stop the often slow, painful poisoning deaths of wildlife on refuges that are specifically established to protect them."

Even though lead bullets were banned in wildlife refuges for hunting waterfowl in 1992, spent lead ammunition used for hunting other animals poisons over 130 species of wildlife including eagles, swans, endangered California condors, and endangered whooping cranes. The Center of Biological Diversity also reports that a 2022 scientific study found that half of the bald and golden eagles suffer from toxic levels of lead due to lead ammo.

"There are safer, cost-effective alternatives available today to protect Texas families from the lead-poisoned game," said Rebecca Bernhardt, executive director of Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility. "Phasing out lead ammo and tackle promotes a healthy, toxic-free wildlife refuge system for everyone."

Copper bullets have been found to not fragment when they hit an animal and be much safer for the environment because the metal is not toxic. While they are more expensive, the proposed state program would help alleviate the costs of switching to less toxic bullets.

According to WyoFile, groups like Sporting Lead-Free in states like Wyoming understand the need to use non-toxic bullets due to the effects on people and animals eating the meat. The group does not advocate for bans on lead bullets, instead, they work toward teaching hunters and anglers about the environmental and health advantages of using alternative metals like copper. They also educate people on how the performance of a copper bullet differs from that of lead ammunition.

"We’re against regulation and litigation and feel education is the ticket," said co-founder of Sporting Lead-Free Bryan Bedrosian. "We want to build a community of hunters and anglers that is in no way anti-hunting or angling."

According to Columbia Insight, people like Leland Brown, who is a founding member of the North American Non-Lead Partnership, advocate for the use of alternative metal ammunition, but he knows firsthand that a ban like what was put in place in California is not the answer. Brown was one of the non-governmental educators that were tasked with teaching hunters and shooters in California how to transition to non-toxic bullets and shotgun shells.

"I point to California as an example of what not to do," Brown, who since 2015 has tried a voluntary, incremental approach to getting hunters to consider alternatives to lead ammunition, told Columbia Insight. "Hunters were openly hostile to what was a top-down mandate in California, which they considered a tactic to end hunting and shooting altogether, and we’ve seen widespread lack of compliance as a result."

Brown instead used an example of hunters in northern Arizona and southern Utah who were asked to consider using non-toxic bullets. The Columbia Insight article reports that once hunters in those areas were educated about the impacts of lead on California condors and other birds, almost 80 percent of them switched to non-toxic bullets.

Still, hunters and pro-gun groups have frowned upon the legislation and think it is just another means of gun control. Hunters say that switching to copper bullets instead of lead is more expensive and sometimes not as effective. And, some older hunting rifles cannot use copper bullets without expensive modifications to the gun.

The Colorado branch of the NRA has also asked people to tell their state representatives to oppose HB23-1036. "The measure, which establishes a voluntary program to allow some hunters to exchange lead ammunition for rounds made up of other metals, would be a logistical nightmare for the Division of Parks and Wildlife and would increase the fee for hunters’ licenses," the NRA states on its website.

The bill was introduced on Jan. 9 and assigned to the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee where it passed and was then sent on to the House Appropriations Committee.

Enjoy the next article about hunting.

The Maverick Observer is an online free-thinking publication interested in the happenings in our region. We launched in February 2020 to hold our politicians and businesses accountable. We hope to educate, inform, entertain, and infuse you with a sense of community.

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