Free Non-Lead Ammunition Program

Since 2012, Ventana Wildlife Society has provided

boxes of free non-lead ammunition to hunters and ranchers in the condor range! And still going strong!

We are no longer providing bullets for reloading. We would be happy to suggest brands and online retailers who carry non-lead bullets that are available for direct shipment.

Eligibility Checks

As of July 1, 2019, all ammunition purchases and transfers in California require DOJ approval, and this approval is obtained through an eligibility check. As a licensed ammunition vendor, Ventana Wildlife Society will conduct these checks and only provide ammunition once the transfer is approved. The Standard Ammunition Eligibility Check cross-references the information on your driver’s license with the information on file in the DOJ Automated Firearms System. A decision is provided within a minute or two. If the transfer is denied by DOJ, we will provide a DROS number which can be used to determine the reason for the decision. A transfer might be denied if you did not register a firearm to your ID (since 1996 for a handgun or 2014 for a long gun). In that case, you can undergo another check, the Basic Ammunition Eligibility Check, which does not depend on a firearm record. This check requires the same information, but a decision by DOJ takes longer, up to 10 days. This would be the check to run if you have no firearms registered to you (i.e., you are not in the DOJ Automated Firearms System), or if you have moved and there are no firearms registered at the new address. The Standard Eligibility Check carries a fee of $1 and the Basic Ammunition Eligibility Check carries a fee of $19. We will cover those fees for the time being. Please note that once transfers have been approved, we are required to submit to DOJ information on the type and quantity of ammunition you were provided,

Questions You Might Have:

Why Shoot Non-Lead?

Hunters credit non-lead ammunition for lighter, faster, and flatter-flying bullets, with greater weight retention. Using non-lead ensures that the hunter is in compliance with regulations, where non-lead is required, while ensuring that non-target species, like scavengers, are not at risk of ingesting lead.

WHY ARE YOU OFFERING FREE NON-LEAD AMMUNITION?

We support hunters and ranchers, and appreciate your longstanding tradition of wildlife conservation. We also support the use of non-lead ammunition. From our experience, we know that lead poisoning from spent ammunition is a major threat to the full recovery of California Condors in the wild. Given the threat and legislation restricting the use of lead ammunition in California, we want to help hunters and ranchers make the switch.

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UNLEADED | WILD HOPE
The Copper Bullets That Are Saving America’s Raptors
Nature on PBS, Run time 12:44

Watch hunters Hannah Leonard and Brian Bedrosian of Sporting Lead-Free demonstrate the devastating impacts of lead ammunition on the Golden Eagles they love – and how hunters can lead the way in wildlife conservation by making the switch to non-lead.

WHO IS FUNDING THIS PROGRAM?

Ventana Wildlife Society raises funds for this program through multiple sources, and these change from year to year. Monterey County Fish and Game Advisory Commission has provided funding in most years, along with various federal and private funding sources.

Do I need to apply every month?

No. If you are not selected, we will automatically carry your entry into the next month's drawing. Entries will be cleared at the end of the calendar year.

ARE THERE NON-LEAD OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR .22 LR OR .17 HMR?

Yes!

Look for CCI Copper-22 or the Norma Eco-Speed or Eco-Power. The CCI brand is a 21 grain and the Norma brands are 24 grain.

These three products are excellent non-lead choices for .17 HMR: Hornady NTX 15.5 grain (#83171), CCI TNT Green 16 grain (#951), and Winchester Varmint LF NTX (S17HMR1LF).

Are you looking for .17 WSM or .22 WMR? Check out the .17 WSM Winchester Varmint X Lead Free 15 grain (#X17W15PLF) and the.22 WMR CCI TNT Green 30 grain (#060).

WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU FIND non-lead 22 and .17?

Our website rimfireroundup.com is a great place to start. Rimfire Roundup provides tips on where to find non-lead .22 and .17 available in stock, whether you are in California searching local stores or outside of California ordering online.

CAN SOMEONE ELSE SIGN FOR MY AMMUNITION?

No. The ammunition must be signed for by the recipient in person, and we will only hand it over to that person. We can’t allow anyone to sign another person’s DOJ paperwork, even if that person is eligible to receive their own ammunition. We will not give the ammunition to a third party or leave the ammunition on your porch. While there is no flexibility in this regard, we will do whatever we can to arrange appointments at a time and place that is convenient for your schedule. If you do not think you will be able to meet for a face to face transfer as the law requires, please do not submit a request.

I HAVE RECEIVED MY AMMUNITION, BUT CAN I ALSO GET SOME FOR MY FRIEND, WIFE, HUSBAND, SON, CO-WORKER…? 

No. Please tell them about our program, but they should contact us directly themselves if they wish to receive ammunition. Participants in the same household must each have a Standard Eligibility Check approved by Department of Justice to receive ammunition. We may withdraw the offer if we consider that a request is being made on behalf of another person.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU PROCESS MY FREE AMMUNITION REQUEST QUICKLY?

• Follow the instructions above for drawing entries or local pick up requests. Any missing information will require additional correspondence.

• In your initial request, avoid providing a long wish list of calibers. We are only providing one box of centerfire, and we are just going to ask you which one you want the most (and chances are we have it or can get it). Better to just give one or two first choices (two is best if your first preference is something that is not easily found - for example, “I would like a .30-06 Springfield, preferably 150 grain, but if you have a 7.62x54R I want that”).

• When attaching a copy of your driver’s license, make sure the resolution is sufficient for us to read it. Make sure there is not a flash glare covering any of the numbers or letters.

• If you have been required to do a Basic Eligibility Check when getting ammunition in the past (i.e., a Standard Eligibility Check was denied), please let us know early on. If we know in advance that we need to do a Basic Eligibility Check for you, we can get right to it and save the $1 DOJ fee for a Standard Eligibility Check.

• We appreciate your flexibility when arranging transfer appointments. Because we are trying to reach as many hunters as possible over a large portion of the state, we are not always able to offer a wide selection of dates and times. However, we are happy to meet you just about anywhere for the transfer, not just at your address. So, if you are able to meet us wherever is most convenient for you when we are in town (and it only takes a moment), you can help ensure that other hunters can get in the queue faster.

• Keep an eye out for us when the transfer time comes. We usually arrive at the scheduled time. If you have a property gate, please consider meeting us at that gate, opening the gate before we arrive, or arranging access with any gate attendant. If we are unable to reach the agreed appointment location, or we are unable to find you, we will continue on to our next transfer appointment. We might not have the opportunity to call you while we are on the road or when we have arrived at the transfer location.

• We strive to promptly respond to requests. If you have not received a response to your email, check your spam filter. If we do not receive a response to our request for an ammunition transfer appointment, we will release the ammunition to another participant.

MY STANDARD ELIGIBILITY CHECK WAS DENIED, SO I RECEIVED AMMUNITION THROUGH A BASIC ELIGIBILITY CHECK. DOES THAT MEAN I AM GOOD TO GO NEXT TIME FOR A STANDARD ELIGIBILITY CHECK?

Unfortunately, no. Approval of the Standard Eligibility Check depends on your documentation matching a firearm registration record in the Department of Justice Automated Firearms System (among other things). Even if DOJ approves your ammunition transfer in a Basic Eligibility Check, that is a one-time authorization to receive ammunition. They will not update your firearm records to make you good for a Standard Eligibility Check in the future. You will need to do that. For information on how to update your records, see https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/afspi. Purchasing a firearm would also do the trick as the new registration information would go into the system. Until then, you will need to do the Basic Eligibility Check every time you purchase ammunition, and this check will cost you $19 in stores and take up to 10 days for approval. While we are happy to conduct Basic Eligibility Checks for hunters and ranchers and cover the fee, updating your records with DOJ can allow us to do a Standard Eligibility Check, which will mean more money going to free ammunition and less to DOJ fees.

DIDN'T A FEDERAL JUDGE RECENTLY RULE AGAINST THE ELIGIBILITY CHECKS?

Recently a federal judge granted an injunction against enforcement of the ammunition purchasing laws of Proposition 63, which require eligibility checks and face to face transfers. With this ruling, California residents could once again look forward to ordering factory-loaded ammunition online, and having the ammunition shipped directly to their address. However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state attorney general a hold on the injunction, thereby halting the injunction and reinstating the restrictions. Ventana Wildlife Society, as a licensed ammunition vendor, will continue to conduct the eligibility checks and transfer ammunition face to face as the law requires. We will review our policies as needed if and when there is further resolution on this matter.

ARE TURKEY VULTURES ALSO AFFECTED BY LEAD?

We know that Turkey Vultures are also affected by lead, but that Turkey Vulture populations are better able to absorb losses associated with lead poisoning. Condor life history has a lot to do with that. The condor lifespan is 40 years or more, but they only reach breeding age at 6-8 years old. Furthermore, condor clutch size is only one egg, and being such a large bird, the process of hatching, fledging, and the development of young to independence can prolong the nesting season into the following year, delaying the next breeding attempt. Therefore, the most successful condor pairs are not able to breed every year. Turkey Vultures, by contrast, have larger clutch sizes (up to 3 eggs), and are able to breed every season. So when Turkey Vultures sustain losses, they are able to more quickly recover by producing more young and more often. Being so rare to begin with, each adult condor death removes a greater proportion of the breeding population than a vulture death would, and accelerates a population decline, because productivity of young is unable to compensate for excessive adult condor mortality.

Are Bald eagles affected by lead from spent ammunition?

Spent lead ammunition ingested by the Bald Eagle, our nation's symbol, is also devastating to individuals but has less impact to the population compared to condors for the same reason as turkey vultures (see above). Nevertheless, with so many pressures birds face in the wild, we hope that more people switch to using non-lead ammunition. Consider also watching this PBS special about Bald Eagles filmed in Virginia and see how they are approaching the issue.

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ventana wildlife society

Conserving native wildlife and their habitats through science, education, and collaboration.

our address

9699 Blue Larkspur Lane
Suite 105
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 455-9514

an organization you can trust

Ventana Wildlife Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Tax ID# 94-2795935