Non-toxic ammunition is required when:
- Waterfowl hunting anywhere in Minnesota
- Hunting in federal waterfowl production areas and national wildlife refuges
Although it may be difficult to find, you can check local retailers. Also search for your caliber on Ammoseek, a helpful online site for locating all types of ammunition.
The DNR encourages hunters to consider using non-toxic alternatives for all of their hunting – not just ammunition legal for big game.
Lead is toxic, can affect wildlife health and reproduction and is fatal when ingested at higher levels. Effective non-toxic ammunition is widely available and costs about as much as a box of premium lead.
Using non-toxic shot also eliminates the potential risk of ingesting lead in game consumed by hunters and their families. A DNR study showed that's particularly true in venison.