BUTLER JUVENILE CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY SHOOTING AN EAGLE
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Arthur "Chip" Brunst filed charges, on Jan. 22, in Juvenile Court of the Butler County Courthouse, against a juvenile Butler City, Butler County resident for the unlawful shooting an immature bald eagle.
The juvenile was charged with unlawful taking or possession of protected birds, which is a misdemeanor of the third degree. If convicted, the juvenile faces fines of up to $2,500. The Game Commission also is seeking restitution in the amount of $2,500; three years license revocation.
Around noon on Nov. 17, the juvenile allegedly shot the bald eagle just west of the Penn-American Water Co. on SR38 on the Center/Butler township line. A call from a concerned citizen alerted the Game Commission to the injured eagle, which was recovered and transported to Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Crawford County. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts, the eagle died on Nov. 26.
"This investigation was helped by calls we received after the Butler Eagle and on KDKA news covered the incident," WCO Brunst said.
Assisting officers in the investigation were Game Commission Northwest Region Federal Aide Supervisor Kevin Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agent William Anderson, and Deputy WCO Robert Stephenson.
Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: In 1997, The Game Commission established its Turn In A Poacher Program, which provides a toll-free telephone number and reward fund for individuals to report violations of the Game and Wildlife Code involving the illegal harvest or killing of multiple big game animals or threatened and endangered species. Under the TIP Program, participants must report violations on the toll-free number - 1-888-PGC-8001 - in order to qualify for reward money. If you report a violation any other way - for instance, via e-mail, in a conversation with a Wildlife Conservation Officer, on another Game Commission telephone line - then you currently would not be eligible for reward money. The law specifically states that violator information must be received on the TIP telephone line. The Pennsylvania law mandating the TIP hotline authorizes the Game Commission to assess an additional $200 on those convicted of illegally killing multiple big game animals or threatened and endangered species. That additional assessment is then split: $100 goes to the individual who reports the violation, the remainder goes into the TIP Fund to offset the cost of operating the TIP program.
