Anti-Hunting Narrative Fail: ‘Poisoned’ Missouri Bald Eagle Was Only Bloated

Anti-hunting activists were ready to pounce with another round of calls to ban traditional lead-based ammunition used by millions of America’s hunters. Their baseless claims still have no evidence of support, but any opportunity to make their demands won’t go wasted.

Such was the case when a bald eagle in Missouri was discovered on the ground unable to fly. Initial calls into the Missouri Department of Conservation claimed a raptor in the grass at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield was injured, or perhaps poisoned.

Fortunately, none of that was true. The reality was much more relatable – it was too full to fly.

An Overindulged Eagle

Who among us hasn’t occasionally enjoyed too much at the table, perhaps needing to take a break – maybe loosen the belt a bit – before getting up from lunch or dinner? It turns out that was the case in Missouri after the bald eagle was examined by wildlife officials and determined not to be injured or poisoned after all.

“The bird, originally reported to be injured, was found to be healthy but engorged with raccoon – in other words, too fat to fly,” Fox News reported. X-rays of the bald eagle’s belly revealed the evidence.

After a rest and time to digest its feast, “The eagle was rehabilitated and released back into the park,” wildlife officials announced on social media.

Fortunately, while domesticated birds kept as pets have been known to exhibit signs of obesity from being overfed, wild birds, such as bald eagles, normally do not face those risks.

“Wild birds exercise frequently during daily activities, such as flying to escape predators, playing with other flock members, foraging for food, and searching for a mate,” the New York Post reported.

Positive Outcome, Positive Reality

Stories about bald eagles being rehabilitated after injuries or illness – including situations as relatable and humorous as overeating – are always gook news. Bald eagles are beautiful raptors, the symbol of the greatness of America and majestic every time you see one in the wild. Fortunately, sightings are becoming more and more common. The bald eagle population – once on the precipice of extinction – is back and thriving.

Three years ago, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland made an announcement that should make all Americans proud, especially America’s hunters. The secretary reported more than 71,400 nesting pairs of American bald eagles in the lower 48 states and more than 316,000 individual birds. That’s a quadrupling for the bald eagle population since 2009.

American bald eagles’ remarkable turnaround from the dire numbers in 1963 – when there were only 417 nesting pair – led to Sec. Haaland declaring bald eagle recovery a “truly a historic conservation success story.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams added her praise celebrating the bald eagle population. “The recovery of the bald eagle is one of the most well-known conservation success stories of all time.”

It’s a truly remarkable success story. American hunters have every reason and right to be especially proud.

America’s Original Conservationists

Anti-hunting activists look for any opportunity to attack America’s hunters and their choice of ammunition. That’s especially true when a bald eagle is brought into a rescue facility. The groups frequently jump to conclusions and suspect lead poisoning from traditional lead-based ammunition and shout calls for bans. But these calls lack science to back them up and only target the very Americans who have done the most to protect America’s wildlife populations.

Hunters are America’s original conservationists. American hunters have used lead-based traditional ammunition for the taking of game for more than four-hundred years. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note there has never been a documented instance of a human falling ill after ingesting game harvested with traditional ammunition and the “data” and “science” used by anti-hunting bureaucrats – especially those in the Biden-Harris administration – is non-existent. Over and over and over and over again, they claim America’s hunters must be punished in order to safeguard wildlife. There are never any scientific, peer-reviewed studies or data presented to back up their nefarious claims.

To the contrary, the contributions of America’s hunters to the success of conservation and wildlife population growth and management is undeniable and should be celebrated by all – hunters and non-hunters alike.

To date, hunters have helped contribute more than $26 billion, when adjusted for inflation, in Pittman-Robertson excise taxes to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund since 1937. The fund benefits all by supporting wildlife conservation efforts that encourage abundant wildlife and habitat restoration along with access to public lands for hunters, anglers and other recreationists.

What the science shows is that wildlife populations have never been healthier in America, all while hunters have used traditional hunting ammunition for centuries. While voluntary incentive programs are fine, calls to outright ban traditional ammunition and putting restrictions in place that create roadblocks for hunters is detrimental to the user-pays system that allows America’s abundant wildlife populations to thrive still.

This time, the rotund raptor got headlines for humorous reasons. That’s usually not the case and all hunters should remain vigilant for calls by anti-hunting activists that actually harm bald eagles and America’s thriving wildlife.