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Officials and a Native American tribe in Washington state are offering $13,750 for information leading to the conviction of whoever killed four bald eagles near a lake last week, according to local media.
Authorities tell The Seattle Times they suspect the bald eagles were shot from the trees and dropped into a Snohomish County lake, where their bodies were found floating. The incident occurred east of Granite Falls, the Herald newspaper of Everett reported.
"I've never seen anything like this in 11 years...it's egregious," Sgt. Jennifer Maurstad of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, told NBC station KING of Seattle.
Marustad told The Seattle Times it appears the birds were shot with a small-caliber rifle.
Investigators say the black market for eagle parts can be lucrative, potentially fetching hundreds of dollars, the newspaper reported. Parts could be used in things like high-end artwork or cultural ceremonies, according to The Seattle Times.
"I don't think he (the killer) had any intention of profiting from them," Maurstad told The Seattle Times. "I think it was just a spur-of-the-moment opportunity."
Without a permit, killing a bald eagle -- America's national bird -- is a serious offense.
In the United States, the bald eagle and the golden eagle are protected under multiple federal laws, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Per the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, felony convictions can lead to a maximum fine of $250,000 or two years in prison. Civil penalties are also subject to thousands in fines and imprisonment. Bald eagles are also protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act. The bald eagle was removed from the Endangered Species federal list in 2007.
The act is also a misdemeanor under Washington state law, according to The Seattle Times.
The Stillaguamish Tribe, a Native American group based in Arlington, Wash., has pledged $10,000 toward the reward fund.
"The Tribe is shocked and offended at the wanton wastage of wildlife and supports the efforts of state authorities to investigate and prosecute this case," the tribe said in a statement Friday.
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In Colorado I had a pair of these that would join us in our "Eagle Tree" in our neighborhood Nov- Feb each year. They were drawn back to the area because of the rabbits and prarie dogs. Those memories of watching and waiting for something so beautiful and majestic are some of my favorite. This story is heart breaking.
Probably not a liberal, due to their respect for nature. Probably not a conservative, due to their blind patriotism.
Great another unreason to ban guns.When will the anti gun people get it.If this sick person wanted to kill Bald Eagles he could have used a sling shot (and yes they do make hunting sling shots for small game)Punish this or those persons responsible to the fullest extent of the law.But do not punish the innocent gun owners who would never do such a thing.
Hope they find this SOB and give him/her the max.
Rot in hell you jacka$$
I live on the Hill just above the Lake and I did see some young native American's out hunting that day,
It was (Ill-Eagle) and his cousin (Drug Store Closed) I think that their hunting guide was (Two Dogs Humping)
This is a sad and criminal act. I hope they find the perp and punish him/her to the fullest extent of the law. There are mean-spirited, nasty humans everywhere. It is deeply sorrowing how one heinous act can end so much good. The heartless, cruel spirits that walk this earth destroy so much of what is good, within an instant.
Step on my flag, you step on me-Kill our national symbol and you kill a part of me-Time to hunt and capture for this grievous offense to all of us, to America, to our Native Brethren. This is about all of us who live in this country-regardless of politics-this is our history, our symbol, this is a thread to our past and the wings to our future----
These people are not idiots, they are F'n pieces of feces that belong behind bars for the maximum 8 years!!!
Maybe a Sicilien nektie would be the answer for those killer/ killrs.
Probably a kid.
I dont see the tribes get this upset when their own people kill elk and deer for sport without harvesting them. I have seen it twice, and the reasoning was that they were on their reservation and there is nothing we can do. Answer that?
I hope they catch those responsible for this and punish them. Now these idiots if caught will lose their rights to own a gun " GOOD"; idiots like this should have never owned a gun. These are the type of people that give responsible gun owners a black-eye.
FIND THE MOTHERF*KERS DISMEMBER THEM AND BURN THEM ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lets see how long it takes authorities to find these motherf*ckers. These aint kids assh*les so go ahead and take your time! I bet they wont even spend anytime trying to find these low life motherf*kers. I bet anything punk rednecks did these on purpose! IF YOU FIND THEM GIVE THEM TO ME ILL DISMEMBER THEM PIECE BY PIECE WHILE THEY ARE ALIVE AND FEED THEM TO THE EAGLES..!!!
Didn't your mother love you enough? You have issues
.I am a gun owner and would never shoot an animal like that,
Yeah but Calmike you aren't the only gun owner out there! Too many of your compadres sound like extremist, even when it comes to public safety, all you idiots worry about is Obama coming to take you guns! Please, you people sound like idiots. A ban on assault weapons and large cap clips does not mean weapon confiscation. Until you all realize that, I wouldn't put stuff like this past you people.....
You stupid idiot. You don't get it. By banning clips to 7 rounds it bans 95% of all semi-automatic hand guns because most are designed to hold more than 7 rounds. The NY Police Department is having to revise the law they just passed because almost every cop would have been breaking the law. You Liberals are insane.
Of coarse all you anti-gun nuts are gonna ride every gun related situation to your own personal vendetta. You sound like you want to give the death penalty for dead animals but not humans. As for the idiot who shot the birds, its was more than likely your own anti-gun nut trying to raise more issues.Here goes another dope head candle lit..smoke another one.
We have had several incidents of Illegal Hunting since the local economy has turned so bad. An umemployed Logger was found with a Burlap bag containing two Spotted Owls. When the game warden asked why he was poaching the owls, he replied that his Family was hungry and they were eating the Owls.
The Game Wrden in disbelief asked the Logger just what they tasted like and the Logger told em they tasted somewhat like an Osprey but more like a Bald Eagle....
Hope that jagoff gets slammed! No one should kill those birds! Should strip that dbag of his rights and deport him to Africa. No politics needed here, just good ol fashion justice!
Well! people with no regards to life, give some people a gun and they prove why they shouldn't have it
Maybe the moron just needed glasses, and was really aiming at the wolves that we have painstakingly reintroduced back into complex ecosystem so they, and ultimately WE can all survive. Who wants to live in a world of just peolple and cows anyway. A healthy respect for diversity and the sanctity of life would go a long way towards the future of humankind on this fragile planet.
Get real !!!! It's just a bird. Why in the SAMHE!! do you think other countries , think we are Whimps ? I'll tell you , all we as Americans do is WHINE about anything. We whine over our coffee beinf to hot, our soda is to large, our Gov won't do anything for us , global warming , you name it we WHINE about it. SO, listen-up it's just a bird that crap all over, so to all grow a pair of BA??s and get on with your life.
Let me guess: Libertarian?
So it against a law to kill a bald eagle than killing a baby thru abortion ?
Not to make light of this terrible crime at some point in the near future eagles will make it back on the hunted species list. Probably on a special issued fee based permit via lottery. Realize that with no natural enemies their numbers will skyrocket out of control. Then the hunter will once again be called on to control their population.
They have the same "natural enemies" every species on the planet has...US!
Maybe the gun owner felt threatened, and luckily had his trusty AR-15 with a hundred round clip to protect him. Remind me again, what part of the political spectrum believes the govt. is out to get them and their guns?
Or maybe a lefty liberal fruitcake killed 4 innocent creatures as a sacrifice to the god of "pushing my agenda even harder"
"stupid people will eat this up" he says, as he squeezes the trigger.
Apparently he was right...
It seems like a lot of money for a reward? I mean, the birds aren't even endangered. Here in upstate NY, they border on overpopulated. I see them every day. They've been known to take people's cats and dogs out of their yards. I saw two of them take turns drowning a duck in a pond, just to leave it after it's dead, won't even eat it. They're majestic and stuff, but they're not scarce, and they're sort of a^*&holes... Whoever did this should be charged if they're found, but it just seems like a waste of money to put a national effort into finding them, when in many areas of this country, we don't spend that kind of money on bringing home missing teenagers...
Sounds to me like the work of the nutty left. No conserveative would do something like this. This was done for a reason. To bring more heat to the gun issue. As if to say: look what guns are doing now! Wake up morans!
I bet your right.
Only a whako cheezwhiz could come up with an analogy like that. I hope the 'moran' thing was tongue in cheek, or you really are one.
That's two against one there gt Roman or whatever you are. This was done to make a statement. What other analogy could there be?