Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

1275.0. "U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wants more controls on shot shells ..." by MOGULS::MCKENZIE (Fence ? What fence ?) Thu Jul 01 1993 06:50

	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it is
proposing limits on the length of shotgun shells, the size of shot and
coatings on nontoxic shot used in waterfowl hunting.
	The service said Wednesday waterfowl hunting regulations have become
outdated in the face of advancing technology.
	Officials want to limit the length of shotgun shells to 3.5 inches,
the largest currently available on the market. The size limit would
discourage long-range shooting that can lead to crippling and, in
effect, over harvest of birds, officials said.
	Also proposed are limits on the diameter of shot size to no larger
than a No. T (0.20 inch). The proposed regulation is intended to reduce
crippling losses by limiting shot sizes to those shown to be the most
efficient for killing large waterfowl.
	The service also wants to require shotgun shell manufacturers to
obtain approval for anti-corrosive coatings on nontoxic shot pellets.
Although nontoxic shot is required to hunt waterfowl and coots in the
United States, no standards exist to control the coating applied to the
shot pellets, which could be toxic.
	Waterfowl often swallow spent shot as grit, and this regulation would
attempt to ensure that shot coatings would be nontoxic when ingested.