Found At the Base of Landmark Bluff Opposite Lovell Canyon
– Photo by David Smith, LasVegasAreaTrails
During my wilderness exploration I occasionally come across unofficial target shooting ranges. A number of these are littered with empty shells, old targets and other trash. I’ve got nothing against target shooting where it’s allowed. And many target shooters I’ve met have a high regard for the wilderness as they enjoy their sport. Most hikers, campers, mountain climbers, target shooters and others who engage in wilderness sports have a “leave no trace” philosophy and practice. Some do not.
I asked Sam Jacobs, writer and chief historian at Ammo to create an article on eco-friendly target shooting. His awesome, informative article follows:
Eco-Friendly Hunting and Target Shooting Practices: Is It Even Possible?
As a passionate outdoorsman, I relish the beauty of nature. Yet, it’s disheartening to encounter the aftermath of those who thoughtlessly litter our outdoor spaces.
It happens all the time on public land where I hike and hunt. I’ll stumble across someone’s trash pile that they were too lazy to take out. For those occasions, I typically bring an extra trash sack and disposable gloves.
If you’re like me and desire to keep our public lands as pristine as possible, here are five tips for eco-friendly hunting and shooting that I use on every single outing.
Found in Kyle Canyon Off Harris Springs Road on the Way to La Madre Mt.
– Photo by David Smith, LasVegasAreaTrails
On the Way to Beautiful Fortification Hill
– Photo by David Smith, LasVegasAreaTrails
Tip #1 – Leave It Better Than You Found It
One of my favorite hobbies is searching for ancient artifacts, such as arrowheads, like Indiana Jones. There’s just something about finding an ancient tool used by another human thousands of years ago.
However, trash is my least favorite thing to find while hunting or hiking.
Different from an ancient relic that took a lot of thought and effort to create, the trash that I find way too often is lazily and thoughtlessly tossed aside, endangering animals and ruining the gorgeous views.
This is why I strive to leave the area better than I found it. Hikers and backpackers often use the phrase, “Leave no trace,” which is another excellent way to put it.
While hunting, this looks like picking up your trash and bringing home all your empty ammo casings and shotshells.
Many of my public land duck hunting spots are littered with spent shotshells, which are easy to pick up during and after a hunt.
Leave the area better than you found it by picking up all your trash and any trash you see while hunting.
Tip #2 – Use Non-Toxic Projectiles
Many bullets and shotgun pellets are made from lead, which is not an environmentally friendly metal.
Lead bullets are a proven concern for eagles, as they accidentally injest the bullets while feeding on gut piles and improperly disposed carcasses.
This is one reason why waterfowl hunters have used non-toxic loads for years: replacing lead shot with steel or another non-toxic metal. Since waterfowl hunters often shoot over water, removing the lead from the shotshells also keeps lead out of our water systems, so all aquatic life is safer, and our drinking water is less tarnished.
Many ammunition companies have also been manufacturing copper bullets for big game hunting and copper-plated pellets for turkey hunting to reduce the effects of lead on the environment, including eagles.
Recreational and competitive shooters are also changing what they use, as synthetic and TMJ bullets are very common and help to lower the amount of lead vapors in the air and left at the range.
Using non-toxic projectiles has been proven to positively affect the environment and the animals that live in it.
On the Way to Beautiful Fortification Hill
– Photo by David Smith, LasVegasAreaTrails
At the Base of Landmark Bluff Opposite Spectacular Lovell Canyon
– Photo by David Smith, LasVegasAreaTrails
Tip #3 – Reloading Reduces Waste
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a popular phrase and directly applies to shooting and hunting.
It’s confirmed much of the plastic we use isn’t recycled, even when we place it in the recycle bin. However, one way to recycle and be confident it’s getting used is to reload your spent shells and casings after a day at the range.
Reloading saves money and helps reduce waste because you pick up your casings after firing them to use them again, and you don’t buy another ammo carton that just goes into the trash.
Reloading also means you control most of the process, so you can source environmentally friendly supplies and decrease your carbon footprint. By reusing your spent casings and shells, fewer metals and plastics must be mined and manufactured, which is excellent for the environment.
Lastly, reloading doubles back to tips #1 and #2, as you’ll be sure to pick up all your spent cartridges to reload them, and you can use non-toxic projectiles when you handload the next rounds.
Tip #4 – Join A Hunting & Conservation Organization
Hunters and anglers are said to be more than three times as likely to volunteer for an organization aimed at improving habitat while allowing more access to the area for hunting and fishing.
Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the National Wild Turkey Federation are all excellent organizations among many others, that allow hunters to continue giving back to improve the environment.
Even if you can’t afford to become a member, these organizations host dinners and banquets where you can volunteer and enter raffles to win more hunting gear and trips. Many also provide you with opportunities to volunteer at local clean-up events that improve local hunting and angling opportunities.
Tip #5 – Keep Buying Hunting & Shooting Products
After researching where most of the money for conservation comes from, I was a little surprised to see that much of it comes from the Pittman-Robertson Act.
I expected it to come from organizations claiming their only desire is to save the environment. Instead, it’s funded by the government through the Pittman-Robertson Act, also called the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.
In short, the Pittman-Robertson Act is a tax on firearms and ammunition that directly funds the Department of the Interior’s wildlife preservation efforts. This tax helps keep our federal parks open and adequately managed and significantly improves habitats in vulnerable areas.
Unlike most taxes, shooters and hunters are happy to continue paying this one, as it generates between $177 and $324 million in revenue annually.
So, by continuing to purchase firearms, ammo, and hunting products, we will ensure that our public lands are properly managed and protected for generations of hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
Parting Shots
While hunters and shooters are often thought of as bloodthirsty killers and psychopaths, we can help begin to change that narrative by following the simple eco-friendly hunting and shooting practices above.
Even if you can’t do all five tips, you can easily do a few, which will drastically help; every little bit counts!
I can’t wait to see you outdoors!
About Author:
Sam Jacobs is a writer, and chief historian, at Ammo. As a self-proclaimed outdoorsman, it’s his responsibility to use his knowledge and experience to educate others about ammunition, the outdoors, and conservation.
