Lead in Venison
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommends using bullets that do not contain lead. When a deer is shot with lead bullets, tiny pieces of lead can stay in the venison (meat). Lead pieces in venison may be far away from the wound and too small to see during butchering and cooking.
Lead is a toxin that can be quickly absorbed into the body. Lead is especially harmful to children under the age of 6 and pregnant people. Although no one has linked human health effects to lead in venison so far, tests on venison suggest there may be lead levels of concern in some samples. Using lead-free bullets is the simplest and most effective way to prevent this type of lead exposure.
Resources for people who hunt or consume deer
- Safely Eating Venison (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
- Safe Venison Handling to Prevent Illness or Injury brochure (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection)
- Lead Bullets and Venison: What Every Hunting Family Should Know fact sheet (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services)
- Lead information for deer hunters (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
More information
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