Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Skeet Shooting

Just bought a skeet thrower. Any problem shooting over the pond, such as the fish trying to eat the clay pigeons pieces

Bill,
I don't think that it would be a good idea to do it too often or too much. Clay pigeons do contain some toxic materials like petroleum resins, paint, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Also some of your lead shot could end up in your pond. Lead is toxic as well. The lead and PAHs can bioaccumulate to levels that are harmful to aquatic life and even you if you eat a bunch of your fish. I did find an article that talks about acute toxicity of clay pigeons to aquatic life. It found little acute toxicity in aquatic life to clay pigeons. Chronic tests have not been performed, so toxicity from long term exposure is unknown. Here is an article I found. http://www.rangeinfo.org/resource_library/facility_mngmnt/environment/toxicity.htm

So, you are probably ok to do it once in a while, but would not do it regularly as this stuff can accumulate in your pond and cause problems later.

How can the shot be a problem ? Lead is not
soluble in water & most fishing sinkers are made from lead. And, most shot is made from steel now.

Lead is the shot used for skeet shooting, not steel. Lead levels are definitely detectable in water. There is a private skeet range a few miles from my house where they do all of the shooting towards a large pond for safety reasons. There are fish in it but they are NOT good to eat at all. The water definitely tests positive for lead. Lead shot is banned for waterfowl hunting becasue ducks and geese ingest the lead shot off the bottom while feeding. All around it is bad to shoot them near the pond.

Besides waterfowl accidentally ingesting them as they pluck plants, I think over time the shot would be broken down in the soil. Once broken down, the lead could be absorbed by plants or benthic organisms like worms and crayfish and the lead could end up going up the food chain into the top predators.

They are thinking of banning lead fish sinkers in Minnesota because they kill loons. Water fowl including loons picks up small rocks to keep in their gizzard to help chew their food. Aparantly they have been finding dead loons with lead sinkers in thier gizzard, most less than 1/4 oz.
Trust me, you don't want lead in your water.

Bill, Can tell you this I have been and I have two clients that heave been shooting tons of skeet over water for years, both aquatic life and fish appear very healthy. I feel there is alot more to worry about in a our day to day lives than lead poisoning from consumnption of fish from a skeet pond. Unless you plan on eating 5 meals a week for the next 20 years you should be fine and the clean up is much better than shooting over land. Enjoy the thrower, and let me know when I can join you I need some pratice before dove season in a few weeks.