Bald eagle shot, dismembered in Polk County park

Iowa conservation officers are looking for the poacher who shot a bald eagle and removed its head and talons inside a Polk County park.

A hiker spotted the eagle feathers near a trail on Wednesday in Yellow Banks Park.

Nate Anderson, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, found shotgun shrapnel in the bird's bones, but warm weather and the state of the body have made it difficult to estimate when the eagle died. The killing must have occurred at least a week ago, he said.

“We don’t have much to go on, so we need some help. If anyone saw or heard shots in this area during the first two weeks of the year, we would like to know about it,” Anderson said.

Water fowl hunting is allowed inside the park until Jan. 18. Yellow Banks Park is located along the Des Moines River southeast of the city limits.

Anderson said it's possible someone mistook the eagle for another type of bird.

"Misidentification does happen," he said. "If somebody would have called me and said, 'I screwed up bad,' things are going to go a lot better than they will at this point."

Bald eagles are protected in Iowa and federally under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It's illegal to disturb, wound or kill the birds.

Violators can receive a maximum fine of $5,000 or one year imprisonment, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fines under state code can be up to $195, officers said.

Bald eagles have made a comeback in Iowa because of protective laws and increased awareness. Iowa had its first bald eagle nest in more than 70 years in 1977, according to the DNR. Since then, eagle nests have been reported in 86 of Iowa's 99 counties.

Anyone with information about the Yellow Banks' case can use the Turn in Poachers website at www.iowadnr.gov/tip or call 800-532-2020.  Information can be left anonymously.

Nest tracking

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources wants residents to report if they see a bald eagle in Iowa between April and August to assist with the state's nest tracking. Contact a local biologist or the DNR's wildlife diversity staff at 515-432-2823. 

Eagles are sensitive to disturbances when nesting and raising young, so remain at least a quarter-mile from the nest, the DNR says.