About Us


Working for a Future Rich in Healthy Wildlife Populations

Hunting with Non-lead is dedicated to promoting hunting and wildlife conservation through the use of non-lead ammunition. We are hunters and wildlife biologists who recognize the common ground between hunting and wildlife conservation. It is our mission to promote the positive contributions of hunting and the use of non-lead ammunition by providing accurate information and resources to hunters and wildlife managers.

Contributors

The Institute for Wildlife Studies is a not-for-profit organization that has assisted the National Park Service in removing feral hogs from Pinnacles National Monument. Since 2004, staff with both organizations have gained extensive experience with non-lead ammo during the culling of more than 300 hogs. Based on these real world evaluations of non-lead ammo, we have found it to be extremely accurate and lethal.

  • Although born and raised in the inner city, Chad spent much of his childhood and early adulthood in the local national forest and BLM properties of California. Shortly after college he shifted careers from education to wildlife management, culminating in the completion of an MSc in Environmental Policy and Management with and emphasis in Fish and Wildlife Management. His career has focused on predator (native and non-native) research and management, invasive species prevention, and game management.

    Chad grew up hiking, backpacking, fishing, and off-roading, but his greatest passion for the outdoors was found in hunting. The pursuit of game intrigued him to the point of dedicating his career to protecting this right and privilege. Chad is an active member of numerous rod and gun clubs, hunter education instructor, volunteer, researcher, and advocate.

    nonlead@iws.org

  • An avid hunter and outdoorsman from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Leland has worked as a biologist on a variety of invasive species control programs. He has hunted in California for black-tail deer and feral pigs, in Hawai’i for feral pigs (both rifle, pistol and dog & knife), goats, cows and mouflon sheep, and Oregon for black-tail and mule deer, elk and a variety of small game. Along with other members of Hunting With Non-lead he co-founded the North American Non-lead Partnership. Currently, he works with hunters in the Pacific Northwest on increasing the use of non-lead ammunition to protect the future of hunting and our tradition of wildlife conservation.

    If you are in the PNW and looking for more information email:

    Leland.brown@oregonzoo.org

  • Matt grew up hunting and fishing in western Montana. He joined IWS in the spring of 2021 as their non-lead outreach specialist because he was interested in combining his passions of helping wildlife and hunting. He works to engage with hunters and ranchers and inform them about the benefits of using non-lead ammunition. His goal is to help scavenging wildlife and people by eliminating the potential risk of lead exposure that results from using lead-based ammunition for take. Before starting with IWS, he graduated with his master’s in wildlife ecology from Texas State University. Additionally, he has worked on numerous studies with bats, other small mammals, and raptors throughout the western US. Outside of work, he enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, cooking, and playing piano. His wife is a falconer and flies a Harris’s Hawk that has become part of the family and his competition for quail. 

    Mparker@iws.org

  • Andrew Clare enjoys hunting and fishing around the West, returning to recreate in his home state of Michigan as well. A Central Michigan University graduate with a degree in natural resource biology, his background focused on freshwater research and recovery of threatened salmonid species before joining the NANLP. Now as Hunting and Conservation Outreach Coordinator for GBI alongside partners in California- he works amongst fellow hunting, shooting, and conservation groups to eliminate lead on the landscape.

    Aclare@thegreatbasininstitute.org