FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- It was one of the Obama administration's last moves -- banning hunting with lead bullets and fishing tackle on federal lands and water. Now, the new interior secretary, Ryan Zinke has lifted that ban.
"It would have shut us down. The way we fish, we would have had to adapt and do something else," said a Fort Worth, Texas fisherman visiting Arkansas.
He's trying to break the state striper record. And he's glad he can use lead bait to do it.
"It's wonderful that they overturned it. Without lead -- the way we do, with the jigs -- it would be shot, there's nothing else we could come up with."
As he wandered through the Tackle Box store, the owner, Jerry Knittig explained a lot of hunting material contains some amount of lead.
"The companies would have had to make bullets that didn't have any lead in them which would have made them a lot more expensive, which would have made them a lot harder for an individual to afford; so being able to put lead in ammo is a good thing," he said.
Environmentalists might feel otherwise. Recently, an adult male bald eagle tested for more than 30 times the amount of what's considered toxic. It's believed the eagle ate poisoned game. But the hunters we talked to aren't convinced it's enough to make a major impact.
"I understand lead has some environmental impact. But it's so minute that it really doesn't make that much difference," Knittig said.
Reuters reports the new Interior Secretary is an avid angler and hunter and that this move was one of Zinke's first in office. His lifting of the ammunition ban was meant to expand access to public lands and increase hunting, fishing and recreation opportunities nationwide.