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!
And still going strong!
WE ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING FREE AMMUNITION TO HUNTERS AND RANCHERS RESIDING IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
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• MONTEREY
• SAN BENITO • SAN LUIS OBISPO • KERN • FRESNO (WEST OF I-5 ONLY) • SANTA BARBARA • VENTURA |
Looking to buy rimfire and having trouble finding it? Try RimfireRoundup.com
WHAT WE OFFER
- One free 20-round box of non-lead centerfire rifle ammunition per eligible person per calendar year (or one 50-round box of bullets for reloaders).
- Each eligible person may also receive non-lead rimfire (.22 LR or .17 HMR) upon request depending on availability.
- This program is intended primarily for hunters and ranchers using rifle centerfire and rimfire ammunition. Although we do not offer a wide selection of handgun or shotgun ammunition (compared to our stock of rifle calibers), we carry some in stock, particularly those commonly used for hunting big or medium-sized game.
This offer is subject to product availability and staff availability for delivery. All transfers of factory-loaded ammunition will be face to face by appointment and must be approved by the Department of Justice in the form of a Standard or Basic Eligibility Check. Only one person per household may be eligible for this offer, unless each person is approved by the Department of Justice in a Standard Eligibility Check. Residency and household designations are determined by the address issued on your California Driver’s License. The one box per calendar year limit is based on the date the ammunition is transferred and not the date you request it. Requests received after Thanksgiving from counties outside of Monterey and San Benito may not be delivered until the new year (depending on current demand), and transfers after January 1 count toward the new year’s limit.
AM I ELIGIBLE?
You are eligible for the offer if you meet all three of the following conditions:
- You are at least 21 years of age and not prohibited from possessing or purchasing any ammunition by federal, state, or local laws.
- You are a California resident (with California Driver’s License or Identification) of one of the following counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, or Fresno (West of I-5 Only).
- A Standard Eligibility Check or Basic Eligibility Check conducted on your behalf is approved by Department of Justice (for factory-loaded ammunition).
HOW DO I APPLY?
• FACTORY-LOADED AMMUNITION
Contact us by email (nonlead@ventanaws.org) and provide the following:
- Your first choice of ammunition. Indicate your choice of caliber (and product and grain if you wish to specify). We will let you know if we have your caliber/product available in stock and offer alternatives as needed. Also, please indicate if you have interest in also receiving .22 LR or .17 HMR rimfire with your selection (pending availability).
- A scanned or photo copy of your California Driver's License. If your license says "Federal Limits Apply" in the upper right corner, further documentation is necessary in the form of a current passport or Birth Certificate. If your license shows a Post Office Box, please also provide a physical address.
- Indicate your Race, U.S. Citizenship (Yes or No), Place of Birth (State), and Phone Number. If you are not a U.S. Citizen, please indicate your country of citizenship and your alien registration number, as required by state law. Although Ventana Wildlife Society does not consider your race to be a factor for distributing ammunition, it is required by Department of Justice to complete an eligibility check. As a licensed ammunition vendor, we will conduct the eligibility check and cover the associated fee.
• BULLETS FOR RELOADERS
Contact us by email (nonlead@ventanaws.org) and provide the following:
- Your choice of bullets. Be as specific as you can (e.g., caliber, product and grain).
- A scanned or photo copy of your California Driver's License. If your license does not show your current shipping address, please provide the address at which you would like to receive the bullets. No eligibility check is required at this time for bullet orders.
Upon selection of ammunition, we will place an order with a reputable online retailer for shipment to your address.
Bullets for reloaders are limited to one 50-round box per household per calendar year.
Bullets for reloaders are limited to one 50-round box per household per calendar year.
WHAT ABOUT THE TRANSFER?
Upon selection of ammunition and approval of an eligibility check, we will contact you to arrange a transfer appointment. Transfers are by appointment at our Monterey office or by delivery. We ask that Monterey County participants pickup ammunition, except for those residing south of Monterey, where we will gladly deliver. Delivery is available for participants from all other eligible counties.
Due to the COVID pandemic, our staff will take precautionary measures recommended by CDC to prioritize health. Transfer appointments will be cancelled or postponed if state or local regulations require (e.g., shelter in place orders). If you have any questions about our COVID protocols, or have any special needs associated with COVID protection, please contact us.
Due to the COVID pandemic, our staff will take precautionary measures recommended by CDC to prioritize health. Transfer appointments will be cancelled or postponed if state or local regulations require (e.g., shelter in place orders). If you have any questions about our COVID protocols, or have any special needs associated with COVID protection, please contact us.
Eligibility Checks
As of July 1, 2019, all ammunition purchases and transfers in California require DOJ approval, and this approval can be 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 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.
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.
When Can I Expect My Delivery?
It depends on your location and how many others might be in the queue. Generally, the farther you are from our office in Monterey, the longer it might take. Delivery trips to some of our most distant locations (e.g., far eastern Kern County) will be arranged 2-3 times per year. Other sites (e.g., Bakersfield) will have more regular delivery options. We will let you know when we have available dates for delivery in your region when we have processed your request.
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.
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.
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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).
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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 under How Do I Apply. 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?
On April 23, 2020, 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, a day later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state attorney general a stay, 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.
