11/05/2025
As hunting season begins, please help us spread the word to prevent lead from being put into our environment. Over 85% of the bald eagles admitted to TRC’s raptor hospital have lead in their blood, with a significant portion suffering from severe and lethal toxicity. Hunters can take two effective actions that help prevent the accidental poisoning of eagles.
This eagle is displaying labored breathing associated with lead poisoning. Lead does not directly affect the respiratory system, but it affects the neurological center of the brain that controls breathing.
During deer hunting season, eagles scavenging on gut piles or unrecovered deer contaminated with lead-based ammunition, ingest this deadly toxin. The fragmented lead bullets, used widely in hunting, are found to disperse dangerously within the deer carcass, turning what should be a natural act of scavenging into a lethal meal for these majestic birds.
Additionally, hunters can redefine their love for nature and their role as conservationists. With over 100,000 deer hunted annually in Minnesota alone, the choice of ammunition has a far-reaching impact on our wildlife and environment. Choosing non-toxic ammunition like copper is a choice that benefits not just eagles but all wildlife, and even hunters themselves, by providing a safer food source. It’s a small change with a massive impact, safeguarding the future of the bald eagle and honoring the true spirit of hunting and conservation.
