BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

The Department of Environmental Conservation is offering a $60 rebate for the purchase of non-lead ammunition for the 2024-25 hunting season.

To date, ammunition containing lead is still legal to use during big game hunting in New York State, though Senate Bill S4976A and Assembly Bill A2084A have sought to restrict the use of lead ammunition in the taking of wildlife on state-owned land and on land contributing to surface water to the New York City water supply.

DEC officials say the move to non-lead ammunition was spurred by an initiative to increase the state's bald eagle population.

"The bald eagle population has been steadily increasing in New York since the 1980s. While the bald eagle population is soaring, research has shown that lead-related deaths have slowed population growth," officials said in a release.

One of the major concerns is bald eagles scavenging through entrails of harvested deer, which can prove deadly to bald eagles if lead fragments are left.

"A lead fragment as small as a grain of rice can be deadly to an eagle, and lead fragments can travel as far as 18 inches from the point of impact," officials said.

"A fundamental tenet of hunter safety is knowing your target and what is beyond it. The use of non-lead ammunition is an extension of that mindset to protect all scavenging animals, including eagles, from lead poisoning."

The rebate program and other initiatives to alleviate lead contamination are part of a state-wide, multi-year cooperative project among the Department of Environmental Conservation, Conservation Science Global, United States Geological Survey, and the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell.

"The goal of this project is to determine how the increased use of non-lead ammunition can improve the health of bald and golden eagle populations in NY. For the 2024-2025 hunting season, all licensed deer hunters in NY who purchase certified non-lead bullets, will be eligible for a $60 rebate," DEC officials say.

In order to receive a rebate, participants are responsible for producing a receipt for certified non-lead bullets and must participate in a pre- and post-hunting season survey to be eligible.

To learn more, get assistance with finding non-lead ammunition, and apply, please visit http://huntersforeagleconservation.org/new-york/.