MPG Ranch: an Ecological Research Station & Non-Lead Ammunition with Mike McTee

Mike McTee shot his first weapon before he could recite
the alphabet. Now, understanding weapons is part of his job. His
career took this trajectory after Mike gained a B.S. in
Environmental Chemistry. Curious about potential pollution at a
historic shooting range at MPG Ranch, he earned an M.S. in
Geosciences studying the site. Strangely, the sulfur inside the
trap and skeet targets posed the main threat, not the lead in the
shotgun pellets. Regardless, lead contamination soon grabbed
Mike’s focus. Each winter at MPG Ranch, biologists caught eagles
that had lead coursing through their veins. Lead can cripple
eagles flightless and even kill them. Mike soon initiated studies
on scavenger ecology and began investigating the wound ballistics
of rifle bullets, the suspected source of lead.


Mike often connects with the public through his writings
and speaking engagements, whether it be to a local group of
hunters, or a gymnasium full of middle schoolers. He frequently
writes about the outdoors, with work appearing in The FlyFish
Journal, Backcountry Journal, and Bugle. When he escapes the
office, Mike explores wild landscapes with his family, always
scanning the horizon for wildlife.


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