Lead from bullets deadly for scavenging eagles

Bald eagle next
A bald eagle delivers a fish to its eaglets in a nest on the 13th hole of Bobby's Golf Course Monday, June 4, 2012 in East Gull lake near Brainerd, Minn.
AP Photo/Brainerd Dispatch, Steve Kohls

The leftovers of deer hunting season can be deadly for eagles as they return to Minnesota in the next few weeks, the Department of Natural Resources warns.

Tiny lead fragments left in deer gut piles in the woods after hunting season can easily poison bald eagles foraging for food. The DNR provides hunters information about using nontoxic ammunition like copper bullets, but the higher price prevents many hunters from making the switch. Carrol Henderson, DNR non-game wildlife supervisor, joins The Daily Circuit to discuss the issue.

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