Written By - The Old Deer Hunter - 05/23/2007
Link to Original Article here

EFFERSON CITY - Hunters who want to improve their ability to shoot doves and waterfowl with nontoxic shot can get help in workshops sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting in Missouri in 1987. This year the ban will be extended to include all types of hunting using shotguns on 21 conservation areas (CAs). The workshops are designed to help hunters learn to use steel and other types of nontoxic shot effectively and minimize wounding loss.

"Steel and other types of nontoxic shot are effective alternatives to lead," said Hunter Education Coordinator Bryan Bethel. "In some ways, they work better than lead shot, but to get the best results, you have to understand how they perform and adjust your shooting habits accordingly. Those of us who learned to shoot using lead shot have to learn new habits, but once you master those skills, you never look back."

The Conservation Department will offer workshops in five areas from June through August. Each will be held in an area with a concentration of public dove and waterfowl hunting land. The workshops are open to anyone. However, space is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Workshops are scheduled daily at different locations in each of the five areas. Workshop dates are:

* June 11 through 14 in southeastern Missouri. Contact Dee Dockins, 573/290-5858, ext. 235, for registration information.

* June 25 through 28 in the St. Louis area. Contact Kurt Otterstein, 636/300-1953, ext. 233.

* July 10 through 13 in northwestern Missouri. Contact Mike Perry, 816/271-3111, ext. 231.

* July 23 through 26 in central Missouri. Contact Brian Flowers, 573/882-8388, ext. 288.

* Aug. 13 through 16 in the Kansas City area. Contact Zeb Jordan, 660/885-8179, ext. 246.

The workshops were developed for the Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program. The curriculum is based on knowledge gained from exhaustive field research on steel shot performance.

Topics to be covered include:

* Characteristics and performance of lead shot and nontoxic alternatives.

* Selecting the best loads and chokes for different types of hunting.

* Keys to effective shooting with nontoxic shot.

* Reducing waterfowl wounding loss.

* New developments in nontoxic shot.

* Shotguns and chokes that can safely handle nontoxic shot.

CAs where nontoxic shot will be mandatory this year are B. K. Leach Memorial, Black Island, Bob Brown, Columbia Bottom, Cooley Lake, Coon Island, Duck Creek, Eagle Bluffs, Fountain Grove, Four Rivers, Grand Pass, Little Bean Marsh, Little River, Marais Temps Clair, Montrose, Nodaway Valley, Otter Slough, Schell-Osage, Settle's Ford and Ten Mile Pond.

-Jim Low-