Eagle found dead from gunshot

Washington Department Fish and Wildlife Officer Doug King carries a dead bald eagle off an island in the South Fork of the Palouse River on Friday. He believes the eagle was shot about Feb. 20.

A dead bald eagle was found with a gunshot wound on an island on the South Fork of the Palouse River. Game officials now are attempting to determine who shot it and why.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer Doug King said he received the first call about the dead eagle Feb. 20. Hikers could see it from the Colfax Trail along the river just downstream from Colfax.

King said the trail is well used and he received a second call about the eagle. He said he retrieved the bird Friday. The eagle had a rifle wound that went through the wing and body.

King said it was an adult eagle that he estimated weighed between seven and eight pounds. He thought the eagle was taking advantage of good fishing in the river and had a choice of trout, bass and pike minnows.

Since eagles are federally protected, the shooting is a federal violation and was turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

USFWS Agent Richard Gamba said the investigation into the eagle’s death will be a joint venture with WDFW. He said a reward will be offered for information which leads to an arrest.

Beginning in 1978, bald eagles in Washington were protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. From a low of only 104 breeding bald eagle pairs in 1980, Washington’s population has increased dramatically, due in part to the protection of breeding habitat. By 2005, an estimated 840 occupied territories were documented throughout the state. In July 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the federal Endangered Species list.

There are now indications that the bald eagle population may still be increasing in northeastern Washington and along some rivers in western Washington.

Because the bald eagle is no longer listed as a State Threatened species, it remains classified by WDFW as a State Sensitive species. Sensitive species are any wildlife species native to the state that are vulnerable or declining and are likely to become Endangered or Threatened in a significant portion of their range within the state without cooperative management or removal of threats.

King believes this is the first time an eagle has been shot in three or four years in Whitman County.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call USFWS at 509-928-6050.