Nation’s bird continues having tough time in the Northern Shenandoah Valley

The bald eagle, America’s national bird and perhaps its most majestic, continues to be killed in increasing numbers in and around the Shenandoah Valley by mostly unlicensed – and sometimes unwitting – hunters, according to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) at Boyce.

The cause?

Lead poisoning.

This has been pointed out in the past couple of years by the Wildlife Center as the Royal Examiner has reported. Unfortunately, despite widespread warnings, the problem has gotten worse instead of better.

‘Yea, I’m talking to you – stop using obsolete, less accurate, no cheaper lead ammo and leaving your kill’s lead-poisoned guts behind for me to chow down on’ – Please listen, hunters. Public Domain Photo/Dr. Thomas G. Barnes, Courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service

In a lead article in the Center’s “Wildlife News” Spring 2020 issue, BRWC veterinarian Dr. Jen Riley said that while lead poisoning has been “an issue for our scavenging patients for many years, we have seen more eagles at the Center (for treatment) in the first three months of 2020 than in any previous year.”

When one of my hunting friends was told of this, he remarked that he thought lead bullets – which are indirectly responsible for poisoning the birds – had gone out of style years ago. Apparently not, since the lead fragments are ingested by eagles and other birds feeding from “gut piles” left behind by hunters who steadfastly cling to lead core ammunition.  This, even though non-toxic, comparatively priced ammunition with even better ballistic characteristics, are readily available.

Riley points out that most licensed hunters love the outdoors and wildlife and support conservation efforts. “Luckily for us, they even donate leftover meat and scraps to help us feed our patients!” she said.

That the Center staff cannot be too careful with even donated venison from the kitchen freezer or more recently brought in from the forest is illustrated by scanning it before it is fed to the BRWC resident animals. Ironically, almost half of donated meat cannot be fed to the “patients” due to significant lead contamination.

“Though we ask those donating what sort of ammunition was used, the person dropping it off is not always aware,” Riley observed.

‘I’m not going to eat that, I’ll bet it’s full of lead,” this American Bald Eagle should be thinking before scavenging hunters’ scraps. Photo Released to CC0 Public Domain by Linnea Mallette

While lead poisoning is a bane to birds of prey, it can just as easily affect humans, according to the article. If a venison steak gets to the table, and it contains a piece of lead as small as a grain of rice, as well as it being sufficient to kill an eagle it can also cause significant distress to the human diner – another good reason for warning hunters to lay off using lead ammunition.

So let’s hear it for the eagles and our own health – give up lead ammo!”

The magazine “The Ridgeline” is published by BRWC
106 Island Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620

Wildlife Hotline: 540-837-9000
Email: info@blueridgewildlifectr.org
Website: www.blueridgewildlifectr.org 

The writer is a supporter of BRWC and other animal groups
and a contributor to Royal Examiner.