KeepWildIowa

BY ERIN CASEY

Outdoor recreational activities like hunting, fishing and sports are perfect for warm weather. During the turn of seasons, wildlife is migrating back to Iowa and preparing for mating. Unfortunately, our pastimes can leave animals like eagles fighting for their lives in local raptor and wildlife rescue centers.

Tracy Belle, director and founder of Wildthunder Wildlife & Animal Rehabilitation & Sanctuary (W.A.R.S.), Sonja Hadenfeldt, coordinator of Raptor Advocacy Rehabilitation & Education (RARE) and Kay Neumann, executive director of Saving Our Avian Resources (SOAR) are busy year round saving our majestic wildlife. While they adamantly support hunting, fishing, sports and other outdoor activities, our actions can either take an animal’s life or save it. Responsible recreation is up to us.

The majority of Iowa’s hunting season occurs near fall and winter, but raptor rescue centers see sick birds, especially eagles and turkey vultures, coming in from November to March. This is due to lead poisoning from ammunition that’s left over in entrails or animal carcasses.

Eagles scavenge through deer and ingest lead particles left over by the bullet. It doesn’t take much to down a healthy bird.

“A piece of lead the size of a grain of rice can kill an eagle, or cause them severe lead poisoning,” Hadenfeldt said.

To better understand the leftover damage of lead bullets, Hadenfeldt described an experiment that compared lead bullets and copper bullets in which researchers shot both lead bullets and copper bullets into water.

“The copper bullet mushrooms and almost looks like a flower, so it doesn’t separate,” Hadenfeldt said. “The lead slug bursts into millions of little pieces.”

“The chances of you being able to find that slug, or bullet, in the animal that you’ve shot, is almost impossible,” Neumann added. “You can go in and carve around in there, and maybe find it, but then there’s shrapnel all over.”

Lead poisoning can lead to lethargic behavior in eagles and slow down their digestion, Belle said. It can also affect their nervous system, leading to kidney and other organ failure, because they can’t process the food and don’t eat.

Rescue centers will X-ray eagles for lead fragments in their gastrointestinal tract. Lead poisoning isn’t a rare occurrence, especially in eagles. Around 40 percent of eagles that come to RARE test positive with lead, Neumann said.

“It can affect their vision. It can affect their digestion because you don’t process food normally, so you make bad decisions and may run into a car or into a fence,” she said.

As a result, some birds come in with broken wings from hitting cars. Removing the lead isn’t

Thursday-Sunday, Nov 30-Dec 3. Christkindlmarket, Principal Park, Des Moines, Free

Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 25-28.

University of Okoboji Winter Games, Okoboji

Cycling

Recurring on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Women/Trans*/Femme Night, Iowa City Bike Library, Free

Recurring on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. College Green Group Ride, College Green Park, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, June 3 at 9 a.m. Waterworks: North Liberty HS to Oxford and Tiffin, Waterworks Prairie Park, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, June 3 at 9:30 a.m. Bike to X-Out Fragile X, GoodSons Food & Spirits, Des Moines, $35-40

Saturday, June 3 at 9 a.m. Hillbilly Bike Ride, BrickHouse Fitness, Bondurant, Free

Saturday, June 3 at 12 p.m.

Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League Race Series #1, Mt. Trashmore, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, June 4 at 10 a.m.

Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League Race Series #2, Sugarbottom Recreation Area, Solon, $25

Tuesday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. CRANDIC Time Trial Series, Big Grove Brewpub, Free-$45

Wednesday, June 7 at 6 p.m. Wednesday Night Social Ride: 23-mile Loop, Quinton’s Bar & Deli, Coralville, Free

Thursday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. Elkhart Time Trial Series, Elkhart Memorial Park, $20-85

Saturday, June 10 at 6 a.m. Break The Cycle: Challenge Des Moines, Kinship Brewery, Waukee, $50-100

Saturday, June 10 at 10 a.m.

Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League Race Series #3, Quarry Hill Rd, Decorah, $25

Saturday, June 10 at 9 a.m. Weber to Williamsburg to Parnell Loop, Weber Elementary School, Iowa City, Free easy, Hadenfeldt explained. They need a bonding agent to adhere to lead in the gastrointestinal tract, usually fluid therapy and nutritional support that flushes the practicals out.

“We have looked into doing chelation, which uses a calcium product that allows the heavy metals, like lead, to adhere to that compound, and then it leaves the body,” she said.

Unfortunately, lead testing kits are expensive and normally have about a nine-month shelf life before they need to be replaced. Even with constant care and attention, not many eagles survive.

“We can save about 11 percent of the lead-poisoned eagles that come to us,” Neumann said.

Lead poisoning also poses a threat to human health. Neumann once tested two pounds of venison destined for pantries, and 30 percent tested positive for lead. A hunter using lead slugs may bring home meat riddled with lead, which can then appears on our dinner plates and enters our bodies.

As an alternative, we could discontinue the use of lead ammunition in favor of copper or steel bullets. Or hunters can switch from rifles and shotguns to bows. Hunters using lead ammunition should take the whole animal carcass and not leave lead-speckled food behind for the eagles.

These changes would protect our own health, help maintain a healthy population of eagles and free up resources at rescue centers for other serious cases.

Like hunters with lead bullets, fishers who use sinkers and hooks with lead can inadvertently cause lead poisoning and other health risks.

“It’s not just eagles,” Belle said. “We have geese, pelicans and swans getting taken out because they’re swallowing lead sinkers.”

Top: Five bald eagles, all treated for ailments including poisoning and head trauma, recover in Wildthunder W.A.R.S.’s new flight cage. Above: A red iguana whose front right leg was amputated basks in recovery at Wildthunder W.A.R.S.’s clinic and shelter. Dawn Frary / Little Village

Waterfowl scavenge the bottoms of lakes and can mistake the small sinkers for food. Fish can also swallow sinkers, and if a bird eats that fish, the lead sinker is ingested by proxy. But lead isn’t the only danger. Fishing lines, discarded hooks and left-behind trash threaten wildlife. Hadenfeldt treated one goose that

Sunday, June 11 at 9 a.m. core4 backside, Wilson’s Orchard, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, June 13. Lucas Farms Neighborhood Bike Tour, Iowa City Bike Library, Free

Saturday, June 17 at 7 a.m. Bacoon Ride, Raccoon River Valley Trail, Waukee, $62-$92

Saturday, July 1 at 7 a.m. Iowa Gravel Classic, Whiterock Conservancy, Coon Rapids, $30-120

Saturday, July 8 at 10 a.m. Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League Race Series #6, Scott County Park, Eldridge, $25

Sunday, July 9 at 8 a.m. Grand Prix Des Moines Criterium, Waterworks Park, $15-45

Saturday, July 15 at 10 a.m. Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike League Race Series #7, Center Trails, Des Moines, $25

Sunday, July 16 at 9 a.m. 28th Annual B-4 Bike Ride, Lakeshore Cyclery & Fitness, Storm Lake

Saturday-Saturday, July 22-29. RAGBRAI, Sioux City, $60-250

Tuesday, Aug 1 at 6:30 p.m.

CRANDIC Time Trial Series, Big Grove Brewery, Solon, $15

Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Night At The Oval, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, Free-$20

Friday-Sunday, Aug. 11-13. Tour of Central Iowa, Cumming

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 6 a.m. Courage Ride, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, $15-$90

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. core4 gravel, Wilson’s Orchard, Iowa City, Free-$105

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. Onabike XXXI, Onawa Public Library, $20-$25

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m. Sugar Bottom Scramble, Sugar Bottom Recreation Area, Solon, $10-30

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. Snaggy Ridge 105, The Cedar County Fairgrounds, Tipton, $50

Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 23-24. Capital City Cross, Stone Park, Des Moines

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 21-22. Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra, Madison County Winery, St. Charles, $30-120

Saturday, Dec. 9 at 11:30 a.m. Big Wheel Rally, Carl’s Place, Des Moines, Free

Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. Iowa Bicycling Day at the Capitol, Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines got tangled in a fishing line and had filaments embedded in her legs to the bone.

“People will pull out all their fishing line and just throw it on the shore, and these ducks and geese get tangled in them,” Hadenfeldt said. “We have barred owls who are notorious for getting hung up in the fishing line.”

It’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, for some birds to eat or fly when they have hooks stuck in their beaks or wings.

Waterfowl are also known for contracting or carrying avian flu. When people go fishing and walk through areas heavily populated by waterfowl, they can accidentally spread avian flu by stepping in bird droppings. The flu is highly contagious and incurable.

“We take in about 1,000 animals each year,” Belle said. “We had a fox, two great horned owls, opossums and a red tailed hawk test positive for avian influenza. They passed because of how deadly it is. [Wildthunder is] one of the few rehabbers who can treat animals with avian influenza.”

We need to clean up discarded fishing lines, sinkers and hooks, and use tools without lead. We also need to clean our shoes and clothing after walking through an avian-dense area. And of course, we need to keep our waterways litter-free, so animals don’t swallow garbage or get tangled in it.

It might be surprising, but some sports like soccer can pose a threat to birds. When owls are hunting at night, it can be hard to see the goal nets.

“Owls get tangled up in it,” Hadenfeldt said.

“They hear something, and they’re intent on going after prey, and they happen to fly into the soccer net.”

Like fishing line, the net fibers twist around the owl’s body, neck and wings, potentially suffocating it, or breaking/fracturing bones. The bird’s left to hang all night, and by the time it’s found the next day, it’s likely suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.

The easiest way to help prevent this is to lay or pull the soccer nets down at night, so no wildlife gets tangled in them.

While we prepare for barbeques, graduation parties and outdoor fun, there are other ways we can protect wildlife.

When managing rodents or flies, consider using alternatives to sticky tape. Birds can get caught by sticky traps and are unable to escape, Hadenfeldt said.

“You have to be very careful removing them from the trap so that you’re not damaging the feathers or taking the natural oils off of the bird,” she said.

By removing the oils, the feathers become brittle and break. But many birds die in these traps before anyone comes to save them.

Rodenticide can infect eagles and other animals who eat dead rodents. This can poison birds and their babies.

Another potential threat comes from euthanized family pets, buried in backyards. Belle treated one bird that was vomiting. Lab results showed that it was positive for chemicals found in euthanasia drips.

Thanks to Belle, the eagle survived and is set for release, but it won’t be returning to the area it was found. Since W.A.R.S. couldn’t identify the infected food source, they can’t risk the bird finding and eating the food again. As a result, this eagle may not see its mate again, and eagles mate for life.

To help prevent this, Belle suggests either cremating the remains of a family pet or burying it at least three to five feet deep. This allows microbes to break down the body and reduces the risk of wildlife digging it back up.

Finally, with baby bird season arriving, we’ll likely find some fallen chicks. While our first instinct might be to take the chick indoors, that may actually harm the baby bird more.

One of RARE’s avian ambassadors, an American kestrel named Killy, was taken in by people at a young age. Because they fed him and his broodmates an improper diet, only Killy survived. His development was stunted, leaving him with a deformed right wing.

When in doubt, reach out to an avian rescue team. But nine times out of 10, a grounded baby is still being taken care of by the parents watching from above. Some chicks, like owlets, can even climb back up into the nest.

If you ever find an animal in distress and want to do your part to aid our wildlife, remember to contact your local rescue center. Wildthunder W.A.R.S., RARE and SOAR have all the equipment to tend to a plethora of injuries and illnesses.

Year-round ’loonacy

Although the National Balloon Classic only lasts nine days, the National Balloon Museum in Indianola is open year round. Located at 1601 North Jefferson Way, the museum’s hours are 1-4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

The museum has a variety of exhibits covering more than 200 years of ballooning history, and a large collection of hot air balloon memorabilia. Since 2004, it has also been home to the U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame. The hall’s first inductee was Ed Yost, the “father of modern day hot air ballooning” and one of the four partners who founded Raven Industries in 1960.