Two eagles shot in Southeastern WA, WDFW seeks perpetrator
Dec 16, 2020, 10:49 AM
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is on the lookout for the person or persons who killed two eagles in Southeastern Washington recently.
In the first week of December, two eagles were found with gunshot wounds on two separate occasions in Columbia County. A bald eagle found near Payne Hollow was so badly wounded that it could not be saved by animal rehabilitators. The next day, a golden eagle was found dead in the Snake River, near Little Goose Dam.
“Both wounds were consistent with a gunshot, one with a shotgun and one with a rifle,” said WDFW Police Officer Chase Copenhaver.
While the wounds appeared to be from different types of firearms, WDFW police believe the same person committed both acts, due to the similarity of the injuries and the close geographical proximity.
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“It certainly seems so, just because they were shot relatively close in timeframe — pretty much the same M.O., just a different weapon was used,” Copenhaver said.
The motivation for the crime is unknown, but Copenhaver guessed it could have been target practice.
Eagles are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Under this act, harming an eagle can get you a $15,000 fine and six months in jail. Additionally, hunting bald and golden eagles carries its own set of penalties under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act — up to a $5,000 fine and a year in jail.
“The federal bird, it’s an icon in the United States … they are a federally protected bird, and there are significant consequences for harming them in any way,” Copenhaver said.
Bald eagles are no longer endangered, but in Washington, golden eagles’ declining numbers have put them in the running for the state endangered species list.
Crimes against eagles are not common in Washington state, Copenhaver said, but when they do occur, they hurt everyone who appreciates nature.
“We happen to have quite a few of them in the state of Washington, a lot of people like to get out and enjoy seeing them, and when something like this happens, it takes away from everybody else,” Copenhaver said.
Anyone with any information on this crime should contact WDFW at 877-933-9847 or at reportpoaching@dfw.wa.gov. There is a cash reward for information leading to the perpetrator’s arrest.
