Becky Davis, vice president of a Goleta ammunition manufacturer, believes a ban on lead ammunition that takes effect today in much of the state will have one very noticeable impact on California sportsmen: They will bag more deer.

"My suspicion is that they'll have a higher take rate this year," said Davis, whose Custom Cartridge firm is one of eight manufacturers to produce ammunition certified by state regulators as lead-free.

The reason, she said, is that a copper bullet fired from a good-quality cartridge "gives you a very high-quality, humane kill."

The ban on lead ammunition applies to areas of the state within the condor range, generally from the coast to the eastern Sierra and from Stanislaus County on the north to Los Angeles County on the south. It was signed into law last fall by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, capping a years-long campaign by conservationists to better protect the California condor.

Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death among condors in the wild, a reality underscored last month when seven condors were taken from the wilderness for emergency treatment and one died. Mounting scientific evidence points to lead bullet fragments in animal carcasses as the primary source of the poisoning.

Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, who steered the new law through the Legislature last year, said conservationists "are looking at July 1, 2008, as the beginning of the condors' recovery."

Although a few dozen of the endangered birds now fly free in California, their lives are constantly monitored by biologists who leave them lead-free calf carcasses to scavenge from and regularly test them for lead poisoning. Biologists hope the ban on lead ammunition will lead eventually to a day when condors can roam in the wild without such intensive management.

Although most hunting and firearms groups opposed the bill last year, Davis said indications are that hunters are preparing for the law's implementation. She said her company has seen "a good increase in demand" for its copper ammunition designed for big-game hunting.

"We're backlogged two to three weeks right now, when we're usually backlogged two to three days," she said.

The Department of Fish and Game has printed a notice of the new law on all deer permits and promises to step up education efforts to make hunters aware of the change.

"We're doing everything we can to make sure hunters have the information they need to follow the law and know which bullets are legal," said Eric Loft, chief of the department's Wildlife Branch.

Custom Cartridge, a small company that sells mostly through phone and Internet orders, is offering a 15 percent discount on copper ammunition to any customer who mentions the word "condor" in his order.

The Department of Fish and Game has also certified ammunition from large manufacturers that have a greater retail presence, such as Remington and Winchester.

The copper ammunition is more costly, as much as twice as expensive or more, than lead ammunition, but Davis said once hunters try it and experience the added value the cost concerns will be alleviated.

She said the company will offer its condor discount for the remainder of the year to help customers experience improved performance and understand "what quality ammunition really costs."