Almanac: Deer donating getting more efficient

Lead bullet fragments in venison was a hot topic a couple of years ago. Not so much anymore.

Still, Minnesota officials will again X-ray all venison donated by hunters under the state's donation program, which provided food shelves with more than 17,000 pounds of venison last year.

Last year, 6 percent of the donated venison was found to contain lead particles and was thrown away. But the amount of contamination declined from 2007, when testing first occurred after studies showed that high-powered lead bullets fragmented on impact, sending small toxic lead particles into deer.

Ground venison has been a particular problem, perhaps because trimmings from near bullet wounds were included in the meat. In 2007, 26 percent of donated ground venison had some lead in it and was rejected. Last year, 11 percent.

Nicole Neeser of the state Department of Agriculture said she attributes the improvement to several factors: "We're seeing more archery-shot deer being donated, more hunters are using copper bullets, and I think the processors are doing a better job, too."

Processors for the program must go through training. They receive $70 to process a deer, meaning hunters usually can donate an animal at no cost. Nearly 40 meat processors have agreed to participate this year.

Just 541 deer were donated last year, down from 650 the year before. (In comparison, Wisconsin hunters donate an average of 7,000 deer each season.)

For information on how to donate a deer and to see a list of participating processors, see www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/donation/index.html.

Baiting still a concern If this year is like 2009, scores of hunters will receive citations -- and might have their firearms or archery equipment seized -- for hunting deer over bait.

DNR conservation officers in many areas have reported finding bait in the woods before the season opened and say they will nail hunters who violate the law. The DNR will do so with even fewer officers than last year. The agency has 26 open positions, mostly because of retirements. Last year, it was down about 20 officers.

"We'll do the best we can," said Rod Smith, enforcement operations manager. Enforcement Chief Jim Konrad will be among the managers checking hunters in the field this weekend -- the busiest of the year.

Did you know? • The federal Environmental Protection Agency last week denied a petition by several environmental groups to ban lead in fishing tackle, two months after rejecting the groups' attempt to ban it in hunting ammunition. See www.startribune.com/cluboutdoors.

• A hawk flew through an open window into a house at Chisago City. "It eventually found its own way out, but gave the homeowner a good scare," reported conservation officer Todd Langevin.

• Conservation officer Steve Walter of Waconia spotted three black scoter ducks on Lake Waconia -- a rare sighting of the coastal ducks in Minnesota.

• Voters in Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina approved amendments last week that will protect hunting and fishing as constitutional rights. Voters in Arizona rejected the change. Ten other states, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, already have adopted similar amendments.