Warnings of Lead in Venison Irk Hunters

By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated Press Writer, Medicine & Health / Other

This image provided by Bismarck, N.D. physician and hunter Dr. William Cornatzer shows a 2007 CT scan taken of venison packages riddled with lead from high-powered bullets. Other states have joined North Dakota's warning that thousands of pounds of venison given to food pantries could be contaminated by lead from bullets. Hunting groups are calling it an overreaction. (AP Photo/Dr. William Cornatzer)

(AP) -- Thousands of pounds of venison donated to food pantries this year has become a contentious gift in three states.

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Posted by SDMike 03/30/08 23:30

Rank: 3/5 after 1 vote

Golly! No wonder all our ancestors are dead! They all died of lead poisoning from hunting.

Perhaps it's really a problem because Federally approved meat processors don't bother taking the bullet out.

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Posted by ofidiofile 03/31/08 13:31

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SDMike -- as to your first statement, your implication is that exposure to lead that doesn't kill doesn't negatively affect one's health. on the contrary, just because the lead don't kill don't mean it's good for you, either. it's most dreaded effect is, after all, the damage it does to the nervous system and the long-term cognitive deficiencies it contributes to.

i'm figuring the lead of concern here is introduced by shotgun -- bullets are less a problem because they don't typically exhibit the spread of buckshot.

look at it this way: hunters are being "policed" by one of their own here. the doctor who alerted the state to the high lead count is a hunter himself; so unless you assume that despite that, he's STILL anti-hunter, and he's just talking out of his @ss, i don't see the big deal. no one's saying the donations shouldn't happen (it actually sounds like a great program), but that (A) meat should be checked more closely for excessive lead count, or (B) more hunters should use copper shot. both would be an improvement, i think.

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Posted by HeRoze 03/31/08 13:34

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So, the processors deboned the meat and just ground everything up? 60/100 samples seems high unless everything is just ground together. Also, I don't know what level of lead a CT scan detects. Is it below a threshold level? Copper bullets sound like a fine alternative, but I hope they have sound reason before throwing meat away this year.