Anyone metal detecting for steel/lead in harvested meat?

[mazzgolf]

I was watching a YouTube video of a guy making some wild game recipe, and he had a really good idea I never thought of before - he waved a hand-held metal detecting wand over goose breasts to find hidden steel shot. Well, suffice to say, I could have used that little trick a few times.

But I looked into it, and it seems not a lot of people have good success doing this. Does anyone here do that? And do you have good results with whatever you use? If so, what do you use?

Here's what I've found what people are saying about different metal-detecting units:

* https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pinpointer+metal+detector - The cheap less-than-$50 Chinese knockoff metal-detecting wands on Amazon aren't good

* https://garrett.com/sport/pro-pointer/pro-pointer-at - The US-made Garrett wands may or may not be good (people say different things .. AT model may be better than the II model)

* https://www.rockler.com/little-wizard-ii - Rockler Little Wizard II is used to find metal in recycled wood but I saw some people claim they use it for finding shot in meat (however, the Amazon page explicitly says "Does not detect lead shot (sorry hunters). ... Note to hunters: The Little Wizard is NOT designed to detect shot pellets. Nor is it designed to inspect food such as duck, quail, or other animals.")

Here's a list of a bunch of wands with some reviews: https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/metal-detector-pinpointers

Anyway - I'm curious if anyone uses a wand for this, especially you waterfowlers out there looking for steel shot in ducks and geese. I don't know if any of them can detect lead or not (e.g. for pheasant).

Edited June 26, 2023 by mazzgolf

[3Blade]

[JHbowhunter]

I grew up eating all kinds of lead shot in our rabbits ducks and pheasant and I turned out just fine.  I am completely normal. 

[MGHunter66]

[Live to Hunt]

I eat a lot of mercury in fish 🐠 at least that’s what my ass hat friends tell me 😁

[mazzgolf]

Deadly serious! And it isn't the lead I'm worried about - you ever bite into a steel pellet? Try it one time - only do it when you aren't expecting it.. see how it works out for you  

And yes, I have left steel shot in goose breasts and cooked them without noticing them.

Google it - you'll find alot of people are using these gadgets (or trying to anyway) to scan for pellets.

Here's Delta Waterfowl's video, for example:

 

[hunterbob1]

Always wanted to do that never did I have a bounty hunter. Didnt detect lead, at least when I tried it on my head. I just went with the old Tried and trued  translucent meats pheasant quail rabbit breast hold it up to a bright light. Lots of metal detector clubs to pick their brain.

 

 

[3Blade]

Just busting your chops😁

[Tarhunt]

I run my meat through a TSA X-ray machine before I cook it. Getting a deer through is a little tough though. 

[mazzgolf]

1 minute ago, Tarhunt said:

I run my meat through a TSA X-ray machine before I cook it.

Funny you say that - one of the things I read on the Internet was one guy suggested just putting the meat in the microwave for a few seconds - if sparks fly, there's metal in there.  Seriously, someone suggested that. lol I guess it would work,  I mean, you know what happens when you put aluminum foil in the microwave but... I'd rather not, even if it works.

[jumpthestring]

That would be the least of things to worry about. unless you eat wild game everyday.

[hunterbob1]

2 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Funny you say that - one of the things I read on the Internet was one guy suggested just putting the meat in the microwave for a few seconds - if sparks fly, there's metal in there.  Seriously, someone suggested that. lol I guess it would work,  I mean, you know what happens when you put aluminum foil in the microwave but... I'd rather not, even if it works.

Honey I think we need new a new microwave it's sparking inside.lol

[mazzgolf]

10 minutes ago, jumpthestring said:

That would be the least of things to worry about. unless you eat wild game everyday.

As I say, it's not the ingestion of lead that is my concern - biting into a steel shot pellet is NOT an enjoyable experience. Many a horror story to be told of cracked and damaged teeth and trips to the dentist (almost happened to me a couple times). 

https://schoutdoors.com/threads/steel-shot-and-teeth-really-bad-mixture.17559/ -- "I bit down real hard on a steel pellet while eating dove. Just brutal. Both upper and lower molar have been aching since. Dentist is sending me to the endodontist next week. I could be in for two root canals "

https://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=241685  -- "Yesterday for lunch I had a wonderful cold mallard breast (very rare!) and cheese. About half way through...CRACK. Yep, a number 3 steel shot. Today I went to the dentist for him to tell me what I already knew: The tooth was shattered beyond aid. So I am now back at the house minus yet another tooth. As things now stand, my record is: Four chipped teeth, and two totally gone due to steel shot."

https://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=241779;do=post_view#p241779 --  "4 Years ago, it was the eve of Kentucky's deer season, and I was at my friends farm cooking for the crew. I made up about 3 lbs of finely sliced duck breast and served burritos. The wine was flowing and cheer was had. I bit into a DELICIOUS burrito and CRACK. Out goes my back molar. It instantly made me sick thinking about what had happened. Got through the weekend, and that following Monday was the proud owner of a new crown..... I echo the advice of a metal detector. They can be found small and they are cheaper than ANY dental work."

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by mazzgolf

[hunterbob1]

18 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

As I say, it's not the ingestion of lead that is my concern - biting into a steel shot pellet is NOT an enjoyable experience. Many a horror story to be told of cracked and damaged teeth and trips to the dentist (almost happened to me a couple times). 

https://schoutdoors.com/threads/steel-shot-and-teeth-really-bad-mixture.17559/ -- "I bit down real hard on a steel pellet while eating dove. Just brutal. Both upper and lower molar have been aching since. Dentist is sending me to the endodontist next week. I could be in for two root canals "

https://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=241685  -- "Yesterday for lunch I had a wonderful cold mallard breast (very rare!) and cheese. About half way through...CRACK. Yep, a number 3 steel shot. Today I went to the dentist for him to tell me what I already knew: The tooth was shattered beyond aid. So I am now back at the house minus yet another tooth. As things now stand, my record is: Four chipped teeth, and two totally gone due to steel shot."

https://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=241779;do=post_view#p241779 --  "4 Years ago, it was the eve of Kentucky's deer season, and I was at my friends farm cooking for the crew. I made up about 3 lbs of finely sliced duck breast and served burritos. The wine was flowing and cheer was had. I bit into a DELICIOUS burrito and CRACK. Out goes my back molar. It instantly made me sick thinking about what had happened. Got through the weekend, and that following Monday was the proud owner of a new crown..... I echo the advice of a metal detector. They can be found small and they are cheaper than ANY dental work."

 

At my age one pain I do not have any more is dental.

[mazzgolf]

I should have put this in the Waterfowl Hunting forum - waterfowlers know why I'm asking the question