La Crosse FRO Fishery Biologist Louise Mauldid gets the feel of handling a bald eagle at the training. - USFWS photo by Ann Blankenship

Fishery Biologist Ann Runstrom learns to restrain a bald eagle during the hands-on eagle handling clinic. - USFWS photo by Ann Blankenship

La Crosse Fishery Resources Office fishery biologists took part in a hands-on clinic to learn how to handle sick or injured eagles and other birds of prey.  Fishery biologists often encounter eagles in the field, and the nature of the bird and the biologists’ work creates a potential for birds to become entangled in fishery sampling gear.  Handling experience would be a helpful skill in this situation.   In addition, all Service employees in uniform are often viewed by the public as “wildlife officials” and are expected to act when one of these great creatures is in distress. 

As eagle populations continue to recover, human encounters with sick or injured birds will likely increase.  Fishery biologists Louise Mauldin and Ann Runstrom jumped on the opportunity to get this cross program experience, as it was being hosted in their own office building.  Each participant was allowed to hold non-releasable birds from the National Eagle Center under “mostly comfortable” circumstances on behalf of the eagle and the participant.  Then participants were given the opportunity to restrain a bird as they would have to do to when trying to recover one from the wild. 

Insturctions was handled by Mary Beth of the National Eagle Center.  The training was coordinated by Vicki Hirschboek from Trempealeau NWR and was hosted at the La Crosse District Headquarters of UMNWFR on February 21, 2006.  In addition to La Crosse FRO biologists, participants included law enforcement officers, refuge biologists, and bio-techs from Winona, Trempealeau, La Crosse and Savanna.