Minnesota: Proposed lead ammunition ban poses threat to high school trap

BARNESVILLE, Minn. (Valley News Live) - Lawmakers in Minnesota are considering a bill that would ban lead ammunition and tackle for hunting and fishing.

The thought behind it is to protect people and the environment.

However, many people, like Barnesville High School senior Evan Packer say, its passage would have huge implications on one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation.

Packer grew up hunting and is in his second year with the school trap team.

“A lot of friends recommended it,” he says. “I figured, what the heck, I’ll join.”

Shooting sports are gaining popularity among high schoolers nationwide, despite conflicting attitudes toward guns. Minnesota is the largest state for the sport.

Barnesville has 37 kids.

“It’s fun. It’s really easy to do,” Packer says. “All you have to be able to do is shoot a gun and say the word, ‘Pull.’”

It’s safe, too. Minnesota has had millions of shots fired in high school trap without a single injury.

“This is one of the few sports I find unique,” Barnesville Trap Coach Jason Mahrer says. “We have girls and boys all working together, side by side, and they’re equally good. There’s no separation. Everyone has a chance to be great because it’s them working against themselves.”

The team goes through roughly 10 cases of shells a weekend. In a year, they will spend about $13,000. A lead ammo ban would force them to turn to alternatives and dig deeper into their wallets.

“I’m afraid it might end trap shooting for the high school here in the state of Minnesota,” Barnesville Trap Coach Bill Gauslow says. “Whether you use steel, copper or tungsten shot, it’s really expensive. Now a box of shells, $10, $11, $12 dollars. Well, it’d be more than double.”

“There’s going to be a lot of schools and a lot of kids that will not be able to afford this sport,” Mahrer adds. “That’s too bad because it’s the opposite of what we hear and see. That sports are bad, or guns are bad and we don’t want them out there. It teaches them respect and how to use them properly.”

State leaders say exposure to lead ammo poses serious health risks to those involved.

They say the ban would also mitigate impacts of lead pollution on Minnesotans, the environment and wildlife.

“We don’t feel that this is something that pertains to what our sport is, in our controlled environment without animals,” Mahrer says. “We truly hope that people understand this would hurt our society because kids would not learn about this great sport that they can do for life.”

The team adds they don’t have ranges on water, and the lead gets mined and reused every few years.

Still, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also proposed a rule to phase out lead by September 2026.

Officials argue the industry would adjust and alternatives will get cheaper.