SPARTA, N.C. — A 91-year-old Sparta, North Carolina, man pleaded guilty Friday to killing a bald eagle.
Robert Garner Gambill admitted to fatally shooting the bird on June 5. According to records, Gambill shot and killed the eagle using a high-powered Ruger M77 Mark 2 rifle while the bird was perched in a tree near the Farmers Fish Camp Road Bridge in Sparta, which is in Alleghany County, not too far from the North Carolina-Virginia border.
Gambill said he set his gun on a fencepost, aimed and fired at the eagle, killing it. He left the bird's carcass on the New River's bank.
Two people witnessed him shooting the eagle and reported it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Gambill agreed to pay a $9,500 fine and was released on bond. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
The bald eagle is a protected species under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act law.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), was first enacted in 1940 to protect bald eagles from extinction, prohibits the killing, hunting, capturing, or possession of these federally protected birds without a special permit. Violating this act is considered a federal crime, carrying penalties of up to one year in prison and a fine of $100,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offense.
The public is encouraged to report wildlife crimes to the USFWS or the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-844-397-8477 or online at www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.