Hunters for Eagle Conservation

From game cam to harvest. A rebate program participant captured this buck on camera the day before taking it with a clean 70-yard shot using lead-free copper ammunition. We get proven performance for hunters and reduced lead exposure risk for eagles and other scavengers. #eagleconservation

After treatment for severe lead poisoning, a bald eagle named Billy has been successfully released back into the wild in Oak Ridge, TN. His story, like many other eagles, is a reminder that lead exposure from spent ammo in gut piles remains a preventable threat to wildlife. #leadfree #eagles

Maggie, a well-known nesting bald eagle in VA, recently died from lead poisoning after ingesting lead ammo fragments. This is common but preventable. Hunters can help: switch to lead-free ammo and spread awareness! Our lead-free programs offer free/cheaper copper ammo to try. #leadfree #baldeagle

Our Maine trail cam footage: Golden eagles often rely on scavenging, making lead-free carcasses important for their survival. Lead fragments in gut piles are a major risk, but this site is safe. Our lead-free programs are growing; we encourage hunters to try copper. #leadfree #hunting #conservation

Last May, a golden eagle long monitored just outside Yellowstone National Park died from lead exposure. Eagles often scavenge gut piles. Through WY Hunters for Eagle Conservation, eligible hunters can receive free lead-free ammo. #leadfree #eagleconservation #hunting #wyoming

Researchers in Yellowstone National Park fitted a golden eagle with a GPS backpack to track movement/survival across WY. Data like this helps address risks like lead exposure. https://buckrail.com/snapped-yellowstone-researchers-fit-golden-eagle-with-gps-backpack/

We attended the Black Hills Sportsman's Expo to launch Hunt Lead-Free SD. Eagles scavenge gut piles, and tiny lead fragments can poison them. Hunters who draw tags in select units may qualify for a free box of lead-free ammo. This is another great way hunters in SD can contribute to conservation!

New GPS research shows raptors are far more affected by human activity than we thought. Hiking pressure, development, and infrastructure are changing where they hunt, rest, and nest. Some even abandon territories. Lead-free ammo is a great way to reduce risks! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

NY Hunters for Eagle Conservation attended the NY Sportsman's Expo last wkend with the North American Lead-Free Partnership and the NYDEC. We had over 1,000 hunters visit us to discuss the benefits of lead-free ammo! The Cornell raptors were *definitely* celebrities. #hunting #eagleconservation

Seven bald eagles admitted to one Pennsylvania rehab center. Most poisoned by lead. This isn’t random. Hunters for Eagle Conservation and Conservation Science Global focus on real-world actions that keep eagles out of rehab and in the sky where they belong. #Leadfree #Hunting #EagleConservation

Research from Cornell and NYDEC shows bald eagles face the highest lead risk among deer scavengers. This is why CSG is continuing our New York Hunters for Eagle Conservation program, supporting voluntary, hunter-led solutions. news.cornell.edu/stories/2024... #Leadfree #EagleConservation

Athena, a GPS-tracked golden eagle in KY, is revealing how far these birds travel and how many risks they face along the way. Migration research like this helps guide smarter conservation across the landscapes eagles depend on. www.whas11.com/article/news... #GoldenEagle #EagleConservation

A bald eagle found dead in the Black Hills was confirmed to have died from lead poisoning. To reduce this preventable loss, we're launching Hunt Lead-Free South Dakota, supporting hunters with practical, voluntary solutions! www.sdpb.org/2025-12-16/t... #LeadFree #Eagles

Copper kills cleanly and gets the job done while protecting scavenging eagles. Photo by Will Zuschlag with a hard-earned Texas white-tail, and some solid management of feral hogs to boot. #eagleconservation #hunting #leadfree #deerhunting #hoghunting

At Avian Haven, most eagles admitted show some level of lead exposure linked to fragments from lead ammo. Sadly, Avian Haven recently lost a golden eagle to extreme lead levels, underscoring the ongoing risk. Officials in Maine are urging a shift to lead-free ammo. #eagleconservation #hunting

We love the new US Forever stamps illustrated by David Sibley! They depict the life stages of Bald Eagles from hatchling to nestling, juvenile, subadult, and adult. It takes about 5 years for them to molt into their iconic white heads and start to claim breeding territories. #eagleconservation

One of our tracked bald eagles, hatched in east-central IL, became our first tagged nestling in the project to breed at just 5 years old. Sadly, she was found grounded in IN last week. A necropsy will tell us more. Choosing lead-free ammo is one way hunters can help eagles! #BaldEagle #Conservation

Good news - USFWS expanded its Voluntary Lead-Free Ammunition Program to 13 national wildlife refuges in 12 states (OR, WI, NC, NJ, MD, WV, ID, MD, NH, NY, VT, and MA), up from 7 last year. Partnered with Conservation Science Global, it helps to further protect eagles from lead poisoning.

A bald eagle in Virginia was recently found with 3,000 µg/dL of lead in its blood — it died within a day. Lead fragments from ammo in carcasses poison eagles every deer season. Hunters can help by choosing copper rounds. www.foxweather.com/earth-space/... #LeadFreeHunting #BaldEagles #Conservation

Last weekend, NY Hunters for Eagle Conservation attended the NY State Conservation Council Meeting! We discussed our lead-free program and the North American Lead-Free Partnership led a ballistics demonstration showing superior performance by copper ammo vs lead. #leadfree #hunting #conservation

Since 2012, we've tracked 250+ bald eagles (146 as nestlings)! One female, originally caught in OK and now grown up and nesting in KS, is now heading north. In winter, eagles feed on gut piles, risking lead poisoning from ammo. Hunters can help by switching to lead-free. #BaldEagle #Conservation

🦆 Waterfowl hunters: bird banding needs your voice. Proposed USGS budget cuts could end the Bird Banding Lab—critical for setting seasons, bag limits, and flyway data. Hunters helped build this science. Let’s protect it. Share & speak up! #WaterfowlHeritage #SaveBirdBanding #HuntersForConservation

Juvenile bald or golden eagle? 🦅 Look for: 🟤 Feathered legs = golden 🟤 Proportionally large bill = bald 🟤 Dihedral glide = golden | Flat wings = bald 🟤 Color: goldens = clean white wing patches, white tail base, dark breast | balds = messy mottling #Ornithology #EagleConservation

Our Wyoming lead-free ammo program is back for the 2025–26 season! 🦅 If you drew a limited quota deer, elk, or pronghorn tag in a target unit, you qualify for a free box. Watch your mailbox for a postcard + code to claim it! 💥 #LeadFree #Hunting #EagleConservation

We’re launching a brand new, voluntary lead-free ammo program in Georgia! 🦅 Deer hunters in select WMA's and counties can get a free box of lead-free ammo this season. These are eagle hotspots — let’s help protect them! #LeadFree #Hunting #EagleConservation

🦅 Happy Independence Day! Bald eagles have symbolized the U.S. since 1782. While no longer federally endangered, they’re still threatened by lead poisoning and other human activities. Go lead-free to help protect them! Learn more facts about eagles: www.nationaleaglecenter.org/learn/faq/ #BaldEagle

Two more bald eagles are now being tracked in Missouri! 🦅 In partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, CSG is studying territorial eagle movement near a wind facility using satellite telemetry—vital data for conservation. #BaldEagles #Telemetry #WildlifeResearch #Conservation

While avian flu continues to receive nationwide attention, lead poisoning in eagles remains a significant challenge that also deserves coverage. 2 of the 3 bald eagles admitted to this center in just a few weeks had toxic lead levels from scavenging carcasses from animals shot with lead bullets.

This past weekend, the Alaska Copper Ammo Challenge exhibited at the Fairbanks Outdoor Show! We introduced over 1,000 hunters to the benefits of copper ammo, from its superior performance to how lead-free ammo helps protect eagles that scavenge on gut piles. #leadfree #hunting #eagleconservation

Copper will get it done - make sure you're ready for next season! Check out huntersforeagleconservation.org/new-york/ to sign up and learn how to get YOUR rebate for lead-free ammo. #leadfree #hunting #eagleconservation

The CSG team lucked out last week - we successfully trapped and tagged another beautiful golden eagle in Maine! These birds are opportunistic scavengers and frequently take advantage of free meals like deer carcasses and gut piles, underscoring the importance of hunting with lead-free ammo.

Nearly 9 years ago, CSG trapped and tagged 31 Bald Eagles. One of them, a nestling named Doc, covered over 680,000 GPS locations in North America. On Feb 17, he was spotted fishing close to his nest site! Doc’s journey is far from over, and we can’t wait to see where his adventures take him next!

Attention hunters in southeast WY - Good news! We'll be continuing our lead-free ammo incentive program to hunters that are awarded specific limited quota tags this upcoming season in southeast WY. More info coming soon! #leadfree #hunting #eagleconservation

The Alaska Copper Ammo Challenge recently exhibited at the Great Alaska Sportsman Show this weekend and will be at the Fairbanks Outdoor Show in April - stop by the booth to learn more about how you can get free lead-free ammo and protect eagles! #leadfree #hunting #eagleconservation

Our work with the Maine golden eagle project was featured on NPR's Morning Edition today! Here's a link to the story: www.npr.org/2025/02/14/n... Learn more about this project at www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wil... 🌎 #RaptorResearch #MovementEcology #GOEA #Maine

Check out this new video from @theperegrinefund.bsky.social about how hunters can help mitigate lead poisoning in eagles! It also demonstrates key differences in ammo performance at the firing range - and a successful deer harvest. youtu.be/sxS6mNzWIzQ?... #hunting #leadfree #eagleconservation

Check out those talons! CSG participated in a study where we captured, banded and fit golden eagles with transmitters in the northeast to improve our understanding of their distribution and movements. #goldeneagle #birdsofprey #science #ornithology *Birds are marked and handled under USGS permits

HFEC has recently partnered with USFWS and @theperegrinefund.bsky.social to begin a lead-free hunting incentive program at 7 national wildlife refuges! Hunters are eligible to receive free or reduced cost lead-free ammo at a variety of National Wildlife Refuges. Check out www.fws.gov/initiative/l...

Copper beats lead every time - both in performance and environmental impact. Eagles rely heavily on scavenging in the winter. Non-toxic carcasses protect them! #leadfree #eagleconservation #hunting #baldeagle #goldeneagle

Compare the lead on the left with the copper bullet on the right. Due to their solid construction, copper bullets tend to maintain their weight better upon impact, with zero fragmentation and a mushrooming effect, allowing for deeper penetration. #leadfree #eagleconservation #hunting

Lead-free ammo kills cleanly and gets the job done for a variety of big game in Alaska. Interested in free or reduced cost ammo? Rebates are going fast - visit akcopperchallenge.com to learn more about the Alaska program. #copperammo #leadfree #hunting

Eagles are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning but hunters can help by making the switch to lead-free ammo. There are still rebates left for hunters in New York and Alaska. Visit huntersforeagleconservation.org or akcopperammochallenge.com to learn more! #leadfreeammo #eagleconservation #hunting

Our lead-free ammo programs in Montana and New York were very successful this year - over 1,000 hunters participated! As we continue to expand, check back at huntersforeagleconservation.org to see if you qualify for free or reduced cost ammo in your area. #leadfreeammo #eagleconservation #hunting

Did you know that we recently published research showing that lead-free ammo use results in fewer eagle mortalities? Our programs bring net-benefits to America's eagle populations. Visit consciglobal.org/publications/ to take a look at our work! #eagleconservation #leadfreeammo #hunting #research

This x-ray shows how lead ammunition fragments disperse throughout a deer carcass. A tiny fragment can sicken an eagle that ingests it when scavenging. Visit huntersforeagleconservation.org to learn more about our lead-free ammo programs! #eagleconservation #leadfreeammo #hunting

We love to see hunters enjoying the switch to lead-free ammo and reaping the benefits. It's a win-win for eagles and hunters both!

Lead poisoning is a significant risk to eagles in North America. Bald and golden eagles often scavenge on gut piles left behind by hunters. We offer free or reduced cost lead-free ammo to hunters in participating states. Visit huntersforeagleconservation.org #EagleConservation #LeadFreeAmmo