NEW YORK \u2014 New York State is encouraging big-game hunters to use lead-free ammunition by offering a $60 rebate.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works: Purchase at least one box of lead-free ammunition in New York and save that receipt. Use that ammo to hunt throughout the season. Once the season is over, fill out an online form and upload a copy of your receipt. You should then get a gift card equal to the cost of the bullets, up to $60.<\/p>\n
Conservationists said leaded ammo can be toxic to the wildlife that eats what\u2019s left of the animals you hunt. Lead-free bullets are made of copper. <\/p>\n
\u201cLead-free ammunition is just as effective as lead ammunition. It is a much harder metal, so lead itself is very soft and fragments upon impact,\u201d Matthew Palumbo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe scavenging animals can consume those lead fragments that are left behind and have detrimental consequences to those animals that eat it,\u201d Palumbo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHunters in North America have been the backbone of wildlife conservation and have led the charge in numerous wildlife management successes, such as the restoration of white-tailed deer and wild turkey,\u201d\u00a0said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton.\u00a0\u201cDEC\u2019s\u00a0lead-free\u00a0ammunition\u00a0rebate program is yet another prime example of how hunters can help conserve wildlife. We thank the deer hunters of New York who volunteer to be part of the project.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a link to the rebate form, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n