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Experimental program aimed at hunters reduces toxins in the eagles of Jackson Hole
A bald eagle eyes its captors after being snared in a net on the elk refuge. Craighead Beringia South biologist Bryan Bedrosian has been trapping the birds and equipping them with satellite transmitters.
On a cool fall evening near the eastern boundary of the National Elk Refuge, a bald eagle writhes and hisses at biologist Bryan Bedrosian as he untangles the raptor from a net. Unfazed, the Craighead Beringia South researcher maneuvers the bird in his hands until the flesh-tearing beak and talons scratch at nothing but air. Bedrosian then eases a leather hood over the eagle’s eyes, tightening the straps with his teeth, and the bird ceases its protests.
It’s a moment of triumph after hours of boredom. Catching bald eagles is tedious work. For weeks, Bedrosian has watched dozens of the raptors stare at booby-trapped animal carcasses with few deigning to fly down for a meal. When the moment finally arrives, it’s a carefully orchestrated race to get the eagle’s measurements, take a blood sample, and attach a Global Positioning System (GPS) backpack before releasing the bird back into the wild.
Bedrosian’s laboratory is the tailgate of a pickup truck filled with half empty trays of elk guts. The biologist lets me hold the bird by its talons while he draws a vial of blood. For all its ferocity, the bird is surprisingly light.
Bedrosian extends one wing, searches out the brachial vein among the feathers, and sticks the needle in. The vial of blood he collects might help save the eagle’s life.
Researchers say thousands of scavengers—everything from eagles and ravens to wolves and grizzly bears—likely get lead poisoning each year from lead bullet fragments in gut piles left behind by hunters in Jackson Hole. By testing this bird, and hundreds of others like it, for lead poisoning, Bedrosian and his colleagues at Craighead Beringia South hope to prove their theory while reducing the amount of the toxic metal on public lands.
Now, as public entities and agencies such as Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department begin to rally around a voluntary non-lead bullet program for hunters, Bedrosian sees the fruition of several years of work: lead levels in the blood of eagles and ravens are dropping. Switching to non-lead bullets could be the simple solution to a long-standing problem.
Reader Comments:
This is a positive step in the right direction, it is true that lead ammunition is the leading cause of lead poisoning in our wild life, especially our national symbol. They are perishing in large numbers with the most being in the month of December. They made a remarkable comeback after DDT was banned but at the rate these eagles are dying we could find ourselves in the same situation as in past history and ending up classifying them on the endangered list again. Juvenile bald eagles, unfortunately perish in greater numbers than adults. The adult feathers dont show up until the bird has matured at about 4-5 years old, so the young eagle looks much like a turkey vulture in its early stages. They may not get the opportunity to be rescued as often as an adult for this very reason. Please use lead free ammunition and fishing tackle to prevent this magnificent animal form returning to the endangered list, thank you.
Thank you for this excellent article about Bedrosian's diligent work and success in this important research. The really hard part is getting folks to make that cultural change and resist resisting. It is going to be a like lot giving up incandescent lightbulbs. Painful but good for us. And the emphasis on this not being an anti-hunting battle is an important distinction to make. Wildlife management and the dollars to support those efforts depend on hunters and fishers. Those of us in the Get the Lead Out movement fully support those sports. It is the equipment and its effect on animals, the soil and the water that we are opposed to.
Thanks again for making time and space to discuss the important steps being taken by Bryan Bedrosian and his team.
Great article! Craighead Beringia South is a leader on this issue, and have done amazing research. With the popularity of eagle cams, there is more attention focused on lead poisoning. Everyone needs to write their legislators, local news media, talk to friends, spread the word. EDUCATE! Thank you