Shooting of bald eagle investigated
ELKINS — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the shooting of a bald eagle.
Special Agent Bryce Findley said the eagle had been shot, then was later placed in a bag and thrown into the Cheat River near Parsons sometime around April.
Bald eagles are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, enacted in 1940, prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from “taking” bald eagles, including their parts, nests, or eggs. The Act provides criminal penalties for persons who “take… any bald eagle … [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part, nest, or egg thereof.” The Act defines “take” as “pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb.”
The shooting and/or possession of any eagles, including parts thereof, are considered a violation of those acts. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act provides that one-half of the fine ordered under the Act, but not to exceed $2,500, shall be paid to the person or persons giving information that leads to a conviction.
Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement in Elkins at 304-636-6586, ext. 14.