[Jeff Higgins]

So, one has to wonder what will happen (in light of all this slug development) to all of the shotgun only hunting areas. The whole idea behind them is safety due to their limited range. I can see where technology has now rendered that moot. I wonder when game departments will notice and take measures against all of this.

Same thing happened with my beloved muzzle loader seasons, in a way. Not that game departments have reacted (at least not all of them, and not sufficiently) to that, either. I see scoped bolt action stainless/synthetic rifles with O-rings sealing the breech against the weather, some even rated for smokeless powders, and shooting plastic sabots containing X Bullets. "Primitive hunt" my ass. They adhere to the letter of the rules, but not the spirit. There has been a lot of talk about this in muzzle loading circles in the last decade. More enlightened game departments have now reeled these in, going to a more "primitive" rule set. Pennsylvania even requires flintlocks, with round ball only, if one would participate in their special season. And this isn't a safety issue like these "long range" slugs clearly are.