Reason I ask this is my friend with wild bird game hunting. He used buckshot to kill the game ( yes real dam birds) Anyhow I was cleaning the birds. And found pellets in the flesh of the birds. I tried to remove all that I can see. I wonder if there might be a few pellets I could have over looked. And would these pellets be harmful to me or my family. When we cook these birds and eat them. I really need to know. You see I'm mot a hunter nor was I raised around hunter. Thankyou
2007-12-20 16:38:53 · 10 answers · asked by karen w 1 in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Hunting
Yes. Buck shot pellets are usually lead. Lead is poisonous. Even if they aren't made of lead and are instead made of, say, steel, you could still break a tooth on one.
2007-12-20 16:46:34 · answer #1 · answered by Brant S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a hunter, and a cook. I really doubt it was buck shot, as the size of the pellets is so large that they are hard to miss (not to mention that a full load of buck shot would tear the bird up really bad).
You don't say what kind of bird you have. If it a waterfowl (duck, goose, etc) it is no longer legal to use lead shot - the shot must be steel or coated steel, so lead poisoning isn't (or shouldn't be) a problem. Doves, sandhill cranes and other non-waterfowl can be hunted with lead shot.
More than likely, you have removed the pellets while cleaning the birds. When you serve them, just warn everyone that there may be a stray pellet or two, and not to bite down too hard.
They are as likely to find a pellet as a person who is eating a fish fillet could find a bone. You just take care while eating.
The site below has a very good recipe/prep section. You can brouse the forum without joining, but if you want to ask a specific question you would need to join.
www.texashuntingforum.com
You do not need to be a Texan to join. If you do go over there, I am 'campcook'.
I hope this info reduces your fears.
2007-12-20 16:58:45 · answer #2 · answered by Lora W 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I suspect that your friend did not use buck shot to kill the birds. Buck shot is very large shot used to kill large animals. What he most likely used was what would be called bird shot. It is much smaller.
If you miss any shot and it is left in the flesh of the bird, the danger is not so much from eating it, although this should be avoided as much as possible, it is from biting down on a pellet and causing dental damage. You could crack a tooth, damage a crown, etc. When eating any game that has been shot with a shotgun, care should be taken when preparing the meat to remove all of the shot that you can find and then when eating it, you should take care to watch for any pellets that have been missed. This is much like watching for bones when eating fish.
Certainly, lead is toxic but you are not lkely to be harmed by swallowing one or two pellets. If you were to eat game that had been shot with a shotgun frequently and swallowed enough pellets, it could become harmful to you. Be especially cautious when feeding such game to children because of the possibility of damaging their teeth if they bite down on a pellet and because they are more sensitive to lead poisoning than are adults.
Enjoy your birds and just use reasonable caution to avoid the pellets, if any, that are left in the meat.
2007-12-21 02:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should be careful when biting into the bird. Normally the shot will cook out of the bird, but to err on the side of caution would be wise. Dental work is not cheap. I have had that happen a few times where I bit into the a pellet. BUT lead poisoning would not be a big concern of mine if this was an upland bird. Waterfowl must be taken only by non-toxic shot (i.e. steel, tungsten matrix, hevi shot...."
2007-12-21 02:50:00 · answer #4 · answered by BirdogsID 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are talking about lead "Bird shot" (Bird shot is smaller lead shot) not Buck shot....If you manage to miss a few small pellets,while you are cleaning/dressing these birds, you will not get sick, nor is it poisonous to injest in small quantities. The worse that could happen is you or a member of your family could chip/break a tooth if you bit down on a piece of bird shot. Even that is unlikely.Relax and enjoy your game birds.......
2007-12-20 16:52:45 · answer #5 · answered by JD 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Www.texashuntingforum.com
2016-10-21 08:48:10 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why the hell did he use buckshot? I'm suprised the bird was stil intact. Are you sure you don't mean birdshot? If so, then they could break a tooth or so.
2007-12-21 06:27:55 · answer #7 · answered by auburnfootball 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The lead is inert. The biggest danger is breaking a tooth if you bite down hard.
2007-12-20 16:50:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
thats open to discussion and there are basically several answers to the question...
2016-08-26 13:08:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO problem, enjoy.*
2007-12-21 02:58:36 · answer #10 · answered by dca2003311@yahoo.com 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋