COBLESKILL-- The SUNY Cobleskill Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society will host a panel discussion on lead bullets, their potential impacts on humans and wildlife, and non-toxic alternatives. The event, which will take place Thursday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at SUNY Cobleskill, will primarily focus on bullets used for deer hunting.
Lead is a well known neurotoxin. Bullets made from lead lose mass on impact, sometimes sending fragments long distances from the wound channel. These fragments can contaminate the internal organs of the target animal, and possibly meat consumed by hunters and their families. Internal organs are typically left in the field and scavenged by wildlife, including eagles.
Discussion will follow a screening of the short video Lead Ammunition: A Needless Danger to Eagles and Ourselves, produced by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society. Following presentations by each panelist, the discussion will be opened to questions from the audience.
Confirmed panelists include Peter Nye, former head of DEC's Endangered Species Unit and one of the individuals most responsible for the recovery of bald eagles; Tom Salo, a hunter and Co-Chair of the Franklin Mountain Hawk Watch; Dave Simkins, Town of Broome Supervisor, member of the Schoharie County Conservation Association and an active sportsman; Kevin Hynes, from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and Gregg Recer, New York State Department of Health.
The event will be held in Room 101 of the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. The public is invited. Other event sponsors include the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and the Schoharie County Conservation Association.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/groups/CobyWildlife/
