(Tyler, TX) A 73 year old Henderson County man paid a $1,000 fine today for shooting a bald eagle. DELMAR HOOD of Murchison paid the fine on Wednesday in addition to $2,000 in restitution to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and $2,800 to Last Chance Forever, Inc., a bird of prey conservancy in San Antonio which treated the bird following its injury.
According to information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS ), Hood admitted to shooting the eagle on January 11, 2001, near his home. Hood said he was shooting at some birds, trying to scare them away from his livestock, when he hit what he thought was a hawk. Instead it was an eagle he shot, which is protected by the Eagle Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. It is also illegal to shoot hawks protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Fortunately, Hood had only wounded the eagle, hitting it in the wing. A truck driver driving in the area discovered the eagle alive and called a State of Texas Game Warden, who rescued the bird. The eagle was taken to the Last Chance Forever, Inc. facility, where it made a full recovery and was returned to the wild on November 18, 2001.
The prosecution of Hood is the second federal prosecution for violating the Eagle Protection Act in the last six months. On April 25, 2002, agents from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) were alerted that a bald eagle had been shot and killed in Henderson County. That investigation led to the prosecution of HOWARD CHESTER WALKER, 77, who admitted that he had mistakenly thought the bird was a hawk and shot it from a tree. Walker then contacted a friend, JIMMY THOMAS MATTINGLY, 68, who helped identify the bird, and then cut off a foot as a trophy. Walker and Mattingly agreed to pay a fine for violating the Eagle Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Walker agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and $4,800 in restitution to the State of Texas. Mattingly agreed to pay a $1,000 fine.
Matthew D. Orwig, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas praised the work of the game wardens, "The bald eagle is a symbol of our country and epitomizes freedom for all Americans. Bald eagles are a treasure that we will protect by vigorously prosecuting anyone who injures or kills our national symbol."
Steve Hamilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent out of Fort Worth said, "I think its just a wanton disregard for wildlife. Certain individuals believe hawks and owls can be shot if they are protecting their livestock. This is wrong and it
