
LEAD POISONING FATAL TO MANY WATERFOWL 
The National Wildlife Federation reports that due to the toxic lead content in shotgun shells, some one million ducks, 
geese and swans will die of lead poisoning. The report continues: ‘“They will die for the most part emaciated, unnoticed after 
ingesting some of the 6,000 tons of lead shot which is scattered across the bottoms of our wetlands by waterfowl hunters 
each year. The pellets — which shallow-feeding waterfowl confuse with grit — generate ‘toxic fluids in birds’ gizzards resulting 
in debilitation and frequent death.” 
Previous studies, conducted in the 1950's, estimate that 25 percent of the mallard population eats lead shot, and that 4 
percent of the entire population is annually killed by lead poisoning. These studies estimate that about 3 percent of the total 
duck population, or about 3 million birds, dies from lead poisoning. 
Frank Bellrose of the Illinois Natural History Survey notes that the average hunter fires five shots for every duck 
bagged; thus, as many as 14,000 pellets may be left on the hunting grounds for every duck taken. !n urging arms 
manufacturers to switch to soft iron pellets which would not be poisonous, the National Wildlife Federation notes that many 
of the earlier objections to iron shot have been overcome by new techniques in manufacturing. 
In criticizing the slowness of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufactueres (SAAMI) for its slowness to make 
non-poisonous shot available, the wildlife groups suggests: “With a squeaky-tight economy and general dislike of depending 
on production contracts outside the ammunition manufacturing industry, SAAMI might at present be walking an economic 
tightrope between its environmentally concerned four-color ad and its not-to-be-forgotten stockholders.”’ 
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ANNUAL MEETING — Mark your calendar now for the Annual Meeting on May 14 to 16 in Elgin. Kane County 
Audubon will be Host Chapter. A SURPRISE banquet program has been contracted for your pleasure. DON’T MISS IT, 
DEADLINE FOR APRIL NEWSLETTER is March 6. Please send all SINGLE SPACED copy to: Judith Joy, Box 3, 
Centralia, Illinois. 62801. 

Illinois Audubon Society Alc) 
1017 Burlington Avenue “a 
Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 a ‘NU, 

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY, 
SERIALS DEPARTMENT, 
URBANA, ILL. 61801 
LET’S PRACTICE WHAT WE 
PREACH. SWITCH TO A LOW 
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