$6,000 Reward Offered: Who Killed a Magnificent Bald Eagle in Louisiana?

Most of us can remember the first time we spotted a bald eagle here in Louisiana.

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Once, extremely prolific in the Bayou State, during the early 1970's the bald eagle population in Louisiana was devastated by the now-banned pesticide DDT. After decades of natural reproduction, the bald eagle was finally removed from federal listing under the Endangered Species Act in August of 2007.

Though the bald eagle remains federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, their Louisiana population has rebounded. But, in spite of the exponential increase to Louisiana's bald eagle population, we simply don't see them every day and spotting the occasional eagle soar through the Louisiana sky is nothing short of magnificent.  That's why it would never occur to the vast majority of Louisiana residents to ever harm one.

However, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LDWF enforcement agents and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers are investigating the illegal shooting and killing of a bald eagle in Vermilion Parish.

In a notice from LDWF, we learn that on December 5, 2025, agents were notified about an injured bald eagle discovered at the intersection of Robert Road and Wilmer Road in Erath. LDWF personnel located the injured bald eagle and brought it in for an examination.

During the examination, it was determined that the eagle suffered from a fatal gunshot wound and succumbed to this injury shortly afterwards.

A reward of up to $6,000 is being offered to anyone with information that leads to a conviction in this case.

Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of this bald eagle should call the Louisiana operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF's tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411, or download the free "LADWF Tips" iPhone and Android app.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Upon request, the person supplying the information can remain anonymous.

The illegal shooting and killing of a bald eagle is a federal violation of the bald eagle protection act. The penalties for killing a bald eagle brings up to a $5,000 fine and one year in jail and a civil restitution fine up to $5,000 will be assessed.