Should we worry about consuming venison from an animal harvested with lead ammunition? Will cutting out and discarding meat around the impact area solve the problem? And what are the best practices to keep us safe?

Most of us have heard about the negative effects of lead on health. Not only on our health but also on the health of the ecosystems. In this episode, we are answering questions about the scale and severity of these effects from the perspective of lead used in hunting ammunition. To get a full picture I talk with Prof. Fredrik Widemo, a senior researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies. Fredrik is also a hunter so he approaches this topic from a personal perspective.

Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science Newsletter

Support the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.

Recommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/books

Merch: tommysoutdoors.com/shop

Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

DOWNLOAD:

How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

What is sustainable agriculture? Does regenerative farming mean focusing primarily on the soil biome? Is farming a leading cause of biodiversity loss? …and do we really have only 60 harvests left? To get the answers to those and other questions about farming and biodiversity, join me for a conversation with an agricultural management and policy specialist, an economist, a writer and an advisor, Stuart Meikle.

In this episode, Stuart shares with us the history of his education in farming and later his work in different farming environments across the world. Then we switch gears and talk about issues specific to Irish agriculture, which also has some relevance in the UK context. And so, we discuss the use of nitrogen fertilisers, soil health and whether the cuts to the size of the national cattle herd are inevitable. I also ask Stuart about his thoughts on the recently passed Nature Restoration Law.

After you listen to this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter so as not to miss more farming episodes that are due in the coming weeks. Being a subscriber also gives you an excellent opportunity to send me your feedback and suggestions about past and future episodes. It’s as easy as replying to an email! Finally, newsletter subscribers are first to be informed about live events and can avail themselves of substantial discounts on exclusive content.

Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science Newsletter

Support the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.

Recommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/books

Merch: tommysoutdoors.com/shop

Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook

Not long ago I posted a tweet: “Hunters are not good or bad, they just are. Therefore, they must be managed just like, and as a part of, the wildlife they hunt.” It was an attempt to condense my thoughts about our relationship with wildlife and nature. I purposefully used the word “our” because I believe that we are all hunters; it's just that this instinct is dormant in most of us.

The reactions ranged from incredulity to accusations of being anti-hunting. There was also a substantial portion of those who agreed with the sentiment. Most importantly though, the tweet sparked an interesting conversation and led to some interesting points being raised. Since I don’t think that Twitter (X) is a good platform for deeper conversations, I decided to respond to some of the comments in this podcast episode.

It is also a great opportunity to verbalise a substantial amount of thoughts about hunting and nature conservation that I’ve accumulated over the years of both hunting and making this podcast. If you want to respond to my remarks, the best way to do it is in the comments under the YouTube video (for those who are watching this on YouTube). If you’d prefer not to comment in public, you can reply to my newsletter to send an email straight to my inbox. And if you’re not subscribed to the newsletter yet, the link is below.

It is another in the series of solo episodes that I’m going to publish this year. In those I present the views that I have developed after many years of making this podcast which include not only conversations with experts but also attendance at conferences and reading countless books on these subjects. You can treat those as bonus episodes. The episodes where I interview scientists, conservationists and people with a love for nature and the outdoors are still coming on a fortnightly schedule.

If you’re interested in hearing more from me, have a suggestion for future episodes or want to leave feedback, please contact me through the contact form. If you’re an event organiser and would like me to speak at your event, go and check out the following link.

Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science Newsletter

Support the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.

Recommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/books

Merch: tommysoutdoors.com/shop

Follow Tommy's Outdoors on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook