Posted on 03/31/2008 12:42:01 PM PDT by neverdem
Associated Press
Thousands of pounds of venison donated to food pantries this year has become a contentious gift in three states.
Officials in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa warn that the meat could be contaminated by lead from bullets. Hunting groups are calling it an overreaction.
"It's alarmist and not supported by any science," said Lawrence Keane, a vice president and lawyer for the Newton, Conn.-based National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. "High quality protein is now taken out of the mouths of needy, hungry people."
North Dakota health officials on Wednesday told food pantries in the state to throw out donated venison, saying it may have lead fragments. Officials in Minnesota and Iowa followed with similar alerts, asking that venison in those states not be distributed.
Gov. John Hoeven said the alerts were issued as a precaution. He said the state has a "tremendous working relationship" with hunters, and the questions raised about venison are new.
Safari Club International's Sportsmen Against Hunger program donated 317,000 pounds of venison last year to the needy, said Doug Burdin, a lawyer for the Tucson, Ariz.-based group. The meat donated by hunters was enough for more than 1.2 million meals, he said.
"It's provided a lot of free meals to a lot of people," Burdin said. "Hunters are doing something they love and helping others at the same time. This is disheartening, and we certainly don't think this program should come to an end on the unscientific assessment that has occurred here."
Dr. William Cornatzer, a Bismarck physician and hunter, alerted health officials after he conducted his own tests on venison using a CT scanner and found lead in 60 percent of 100 samples. The North Dakota Health Department confirmed the results on at least five samples of venison destined for food pantries.
"This isn't just a food pantry problem. This is a nationwide problem," Cornatzer said Friday.
Hunters have alternatives to lead, he said. "I'm a big hunter. I've already purchased four boxes of copper bullets to next year," Cornatzer said.
The North Dakota Community Action Partnership distributed 17,000 pounds of venison from 381 donated deer after last year's hunting season, a number that has tripled since the program began in North Dakota in 2004, executive director Ann Pollert said. At least 4,000 pounds of venison were in food pantries in the state when the health department issued its warning, she said.
The state has about 45 food pantries, and surveys have shown a need for more than 70,000 pounds of venison annually, Poller said. She hopes people will donate other types of meat.
"Meat is so expensive," she said. "This is going to have an impact - it's a quality, lean meat protein source that we're losing."
Jason Foss, president of Minot-based Pheasants for the Future, said hunters from his group donated about 100 deer this year to the program. He believes the issue of lead-contaminated meat is "a little extreme at this point."
"Sportsmen have been shooting deer for hundreds of years with lead bullets with no problems," he said. "I hope this program keeps rolling along because so much good comes out of it."
National Shooting Sports Foundation: http://www.nssf.org
Well, I guess old Jedidiah Smith and other Old West mountain men must have been REAL contaminated, considering they only had lead shot in their muzzleloaders when they hunted venison and other game critters. Maybe that’s why Jeremiah Johnson went for eatin’ human livers...
I smell peta behind this
Oh, for Pete’s Sake! (Excellent find, though; you’re so good.)
‘All your venison are belong to ME!’ What a bunch of #$&@&^ INGRATES.
More proof of what a lefty SCAM “Hunger in America” is. When I see the bodies in the streets (aside from the ‘Rats I’ve strangled myself over this issue) THEN I’ll believe that there’s absolutely NOTHING for people to eat. If we didn’t have such BOUNTY in America, this wouldn’t even be an issue!!
We’re having Venison Sloppy Joes, steamed Green Beans and Tater Tots for supper. Y’all come!
P.S. I HATE picky eaters. You have two choices under my roof; Take It, or Leave It, LOL!
Not that I seriously advocate banning firearm hunting, but it would be extremely pleasant if I could bow hunt from Sep to Jan without having to share the woods with the “pumpkins” I can’t see myself missing the “good old days”.
Then sitting around and talking about the “good old days.” is all that WILL be left of hunting.
You know if they haven’t taken it out and defrosted it I’ll be GLAD to take all the venison other hunters can donate.
Vegetarian : Sioux Indian term for “lousy hunter”
“P.S. I HATE picky eaters. You have two choices under my roof; Take It, or Leave It, LOL!”
I’m with you. I am SO sick of friends or relatives that can’t eat this or that because of their “health”, “diet”, philosophy, sociological or political stand, etc.
That’s OK, eat or don’t eat what you choose or don’t choose, just don’t feel compelled that you have to TELL ME ABOUT IT. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW, JUST SHUT UP AND EAT OR DON’T EAT OR HIT THE ROAD AND DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE,..... ON THE WAY OUT. And leave the wine for me.
Adios sucker, now scram.
Is this a stitch or what. If they haven’t tested the “particles” they could be anything from bone to, more likely, something picked up at the butcher. So much for the charity of hunters. I note the charitys on the receiving end aren’t complaining.
That’s true. And I have taught my children to hunt with guns, so I’m only kidding wrt “pumpkins”. That, and its extremely difficult to shoot dove and ducks on the wing with a bow ; )
I’m being 100% serious in this statement: If hunting is outlawed, I will be an outlaw hunter.
At different times, of course, the company is fine.
Don't think I've ever met a bowhunter who doesn't hunt during firearms season, though I'm sure there are some.
Next week, a skan with a broadhead in some poor persons free hamburger.
Let them eat cats.
A The desired pattern, good shot placement (point of aim is base of turkey's neck).
B This pattern shows that the bird is out of range at this distance.
*C Poor shot placement, good pattern.
*D Poor shot placement, good pattern.
*Poor shot placement is a result of poor aiming by shooter or the shotgun's tendency to shoot high or low; left or right.
LOL! See my post #53. :)
My daughter (5 1/2yrs) has eaten gun shot deer since she could chew. Her yearly lead test have always been negative. These tests are BS of the highest caliber.
Send me your venison prepaid and I will have it tested for you free of charge. PLEASE REMOVE ANY INDETIFYING MARKINGS FIRST!.
And nice piles of lead dust on the ground under the exhaust fans.
If they are enviroscum, they are inconsistent. Wild game has the lowest GHG footprint.
ZPP?
Barnes X-bullets are solid copper and an excellent big game bullet. When I shoot a deer with one, it goes all the way through the rib cage and out the other side. There is no bullet left in the animal.....just two holes.
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