Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

The early goose season overlaps with dove season. A buddy and I were going to go dove hunting a couple of times after work and were wondering about the goose aspect. Would it be legal to possess both steel and lead shot so that you could dove hunt but also take a goose if the opportunity presented itself? I’m not sure what the legality is for possessing certain shotshells. We’d be hunting dove and just have a couple of steel shells on hand in case a goose flew by within 25 yards or so. Thanks. Oh yeah – we’re aware that we’d have to add a federal duck stamp to our list of tags as well as the migratory stamp that we already have for doves.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

you can kill doves with steel

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

This is true. It would be a little expensive to go hunting doves with waterfowl loads, though.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

I'm not a warden, but I would be of the opinion that if you are shooting doves and have a couple boxes of #7,8,or9's in lead, and some steel shot BB's the warden would give you that leeway. Also I've seen them dig pellets out of the goose and/or put a magnet on the breast to see if it was steel or lead. I think you should be ok.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

you willNOT be ok.

one dove load will get you in deep doo doo if you tell them that you have a few steel shells to shoot geese if any come by. they make steel 6's and 7's in 2.75" shells. they sell for 6 or 7 bucks.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

Here’s where it’s confusing. Isn’t the idea behind steel shot for waterfowl to keep lead out of the water ways? If I blast 100 lead shotshells over a soy bean field at doves – I’m OK. If a goose comes buy and I throw in a steel shot and shoot, I’m still OK. However, if I still have a lead shell in my pocket, I’m not OK? We’re still at the soy bean field where people are shooting cases of lead shot at doves flying overhead.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/lib/pgc/pdf/2005_migratory_game_birds4.pdf

"possession of lead shot while hunting...geese is unlawful"

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

That settles it. I'll stick to one species (doves) while I'm dove hunting.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

This is a no brainer. NO LEAD SHELLS ON YOU IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT SHOOTING A GOOSE.
Buy yourself some # 7 steel or some other non tox shot. The federal mandated fine used to be $100 for the offense and $50 for each shell you had with you. Think about it . Most dove hunters bring a box and alot more like two or three.That could add up to $1250 fine per box on top of the $100. When I go waterfowling I don't even have lead shells in my vehicle.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

here's two situations i'm putting out for thought....

1.you and a partner are hunting together. he's hunting doves and you are hunting geese. every now and then you trade shell vests and guns, and switch what you are hunting for. is that legal? it's a grey area.

2. you are hunting doves by yourself about 10 yards from your vehicle. you have a game vest with lead dove loads on you and you are hunting for doves. you see geese off in the distance, return to your vehicle, deposit the lead dove loads and retrieve another shotgun loaded with steel. is that legal? probably, but it would be iffy.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

I have no idea what the answer would be to that one.

Actually, the law says no lead shot while goose hunting. It does not say no lead shot while dove hunting. Say I have no dekes (except for a couple dove ones), no boat, no dog and no calls (except for a dove one). I also have a few dead doves next to my stool and a few boxes of #8 low brass. AmI goose hunting? I'm also on the edge of a standing corn field and several miles from any water.

It seems like something that you could easily explain to a WCO but I'm not chancing it. The chances are that the few geese will be out of range anyway and it's not worth a potential fine or paying out the azz for 3 boxes of steel shot to hunt doves.

RE: Lead Shot While Goose Hunting
 

In Montana, as another example, lead shot in the vehicle would not count as in possession. As a general rule, possession means readily accessible: in the gun, in the pockets or within reach while waterfowl hunting. See page 4 of the 2005 Migratory Birds Tentative Regulations.

I would echo the sentiments above, though, that this is an area to be mindful of and not to be taken lightly. For this reason, I have separate gear (vests) for upland and waterfowl work and they don't get mixed. No reason to have a costly fiasco in the field.

Safe hunting,

Lawdog