Golden EagleThis golden eagle was found shot in Alna on Nov. 12.

Toby Stockford, of Edgecomb and his cousin Bert found and rescued an injured golden eagle on Nov. 12 while hunting on power lines near the West Alna Road in Alna. The magnificent bird was shot in the wing, injuring his radius and ulna, according to Angela Nessmith, of the Damariscotta Veterinary Clinic, who treated the bird for shock and infection.

"Forensic evidence shows the bird was shot in the wing by a rifle and it was perched when shot," Special Agent Eric Holmes with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife said.

"His elbow was shattered. He did not go anywhere after he was shot. We believe he was shot while perched on the power lines," Holmes added. Lead fragments were found in the wing, which will provide evidence for a hopeful conviction.

"We came up through the power lines and first saw it from 40-60 yards away. I thought at first it was a turkey,'' Toby Stockford commented. When they approached the bird, it ran off. "It could run to beat heaven," Stockford said of the bird.

The two men cornered the wounded bird and laid their guns across its back to pin it to the ground. Stockford then took off his fleece jacket and put it over the bird's head to calm it down. "That made it lay right still," Stockford said of the bird.

Stockford thought what he had captured was an immature bald eagle and learned later that it was a golden eagle. "It was kind of cool, I never thought I'd ever see an eagle that close. It was the biggest bird I've ever handled," Stockford, a former animal control officer for the town of Alna commented. He estimated that the bird had a wing span of about six feet and talons, if unfurled, about three inches long.

Stockford ran back to a relative's house and called Chewonki, who told him to bring it over. Stockford said there was a lot of blood on the feathers that made the bird's injuries look worse than they were. The Stockfords brought the bird to the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, who in turn transported it to the Damariscotta Vet. Clinic.

Nessmith called the bird "very cooperative. He was a little shocky and had lost a little bit of blood." The bird was then taken back to Chewonki, before it was transported to Tufts Veterinary School Wildlife Clinic in Grafton, Mass., where it is undergoing treatment.

The golden eagle is extremely rare in Maine. There are no known nesting pairs of golden eagles in the state. Charlie Todd of State Wildlife Research in Bangor said the state "monitored nesting pairs until 1997. That was the last time we had clear evidence" of a nesting pair of golden eagles in the state, Todd said.

"Historically they have been present in small numbers. Their numbers have been slipping away on the Atlantic seaboard for a century," Todd added.

Canada and Labrador have a small population of golden eagles. There is a healthy population in the west which has an abundance of land animals. Todd said the golden eagles are extremely rare in Maine because of the large number of wooded areas and they on feed rabbits, squirrels and other land animals in open fields.

"Most people do not know we have golden eagles in the state, or that they pass through, coming down from Canada," Todd said, then added that the midcoast area has a history of golden eagle sightings.

The injured gold eagle is a two year old male and is three feet long. He has a golden brown plume and specks of gold on his head and neck. Golden eagles differ from immature bald eagles in their coloring and feathers on their legs.

Immature bald eagles have a mottled appearance, where golden eagles are dark golden brown. Golden eagles also have feathers all the way down around their feet (not on feet), where a bald eagle does not.

The injured golden eagle found in Alna can not be released to the wild because the injuries to his left wing will prevent him from ever being able to fly again. Tufts wildlife veterinarian Dr. Pokras is in hopes the wing can be saved. If the wing has to be amputated, the eagle will be euthanized, as is required by law. The eagle is being treated with antibiotics at Tufts and is feeding on previously killed rats and mice.

When asked if he thought a hunter could have mistaken the eagle for a duck, Stockford responded, "That thing can swallow a duck whole. I don't see how a hunter could mistake it for anything else." "I love the outdoors and I love to hunt. This is really upsetting," Stockford said. "I really don't blame the anti-hunters and how they think after seeing this. Most hunters have a respect for the game laws. This is pretty pathetic. I don't blame anyone for the way they think now. When it comes to hunting, you do everything right, or don't do it at all," Stockford added.

"If he lives, he will have a good life ahead, just not the kind he was meant to have," Nessmith commented. "If someone is stupid enough to do it (shoot the eagle), hopefully they are stupid enough to brag about it," Stockford said.

"It's very unique and rare to have a golden eagle in these parts, it's even rarer now, that this one has been shot," Holmes commented. While rare in Maine, the golden eagle does not fall under the Endangered Species Act, but it is protected by law.

According to Holmes, shooting a golden eagle is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and a year in jail. A reward of half of the fine (potentially $50,000) is being offered to any person or persons who provides information that leads to a conviction.

Anyone with information on the shooting of the golden eagle, please call U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent Eric Holmes at (207) 469-6701, ext. 232.

A local reward is being offered as well. Remain Wild of Maine is offering a $500 reward. If anyone has information on who may have shot the golden eagle, please call Susan Giglia at 563-5636 or Kate Viminsky at the Chewonki Outreach Division at 882-7323.