Nontoxic ammunition is required when:
- Waterfowl hunting anywhere in Minnesota
- Hunting in Minnesota State Parks
- When hunting in a special youth hunt in the shotgun-only use area of Minnesota, hunters must choose an option:
- Use nontoxic ammunition; or
- Remove all parts of harvested deer, including the entrails.
- Hunting in Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas where hunting is allowed
- 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 nontoxic 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 nontoxic ammunition is widely available and costs about as much as a box of premium lead.
Using nontoxic 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.