Why Sport Lead Free?

Nearly half of all golden eagles and bald eagles in the U.S. have elevated lead levels in their bodies. Conservationist and hunter Bryan Bedrosian knows that this lead poisoning comes from bullet fragments left behind by hunters using lead bullets. Bryan’s work as an ecologist has shown that the bird’s lead levels skyrocket right after opening weekend of big game season, and drop after hunting season’s over.

To combat this threat to eagle health in the wild, Bryan started Sporting Lead Free. The organization offers a solution to the problem: hosting workshops and ballistics demonstrations to show how lead bullets enter the food chain, and ultimately advocating for the use of non-lead bullets as a permanent substitute for traditional ammunition. Fortunately, non-lead bullets are getting cheaper and more easily available — and Bryan’s also seen how their use corresponds with a clear reduction in the eagles’ lead levels.