As a hunter who DOES care about the preservation of these awesome birds, I’m very curious about the source of the lead in these birds.

Dr. Wallace suggests that the lead was likely present in the carcasses that were being fed to the condors, which is a pleasant departure from the constant finger-pointing at hunters up in the Central and San Joaquin Valley areas. While I don’t deny the possibility that hunters’ ammo is part of the problem, the conclusion stated above makes much more sense and offers a much more plausible (to me) explanation for the continued presence of lead in the condors’ bloodstreams.

How many of the birds in the San Joaquin Valley are still being provided with food, and do those carcasses come from the same sources as those in Baja? Are those carcasses receiving the same inspection (portable x-ray, etc.) that the carcasses going to Baja are receiving?

Thanks for honest answers. Like many hunters, I’d like to see the condors return, but I’d also like to know that some of the more extreme measures we’re being forced to take are actually going to make a real difference. It would sure make this bitter pill of the lead ammo ban go down a lot easier.

Editor’s note: The birds in California are still fed by the California Condor Recovery Program, however, the cattle is federally regulated. Unfortunately in Baja California the same resource is not available and the condor biologists most inspect the meat themselves.