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Elderly man fined, told to turn in his gun after killing bald eagle

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published March 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM EST
An American bald eagle flies over Mill Pond in Centerport, N.Y., in 2018. The bald eagle is one of the birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Bruce Bennett
/
Getty Images
The bald eagle is one of the birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Last week, a federal judge ordered a 91-year-old North Carolina man to pay a $9,500 fine and turn in his firearm for killing a bald eagle.

Court documents show that last June, Robert Gambill of Sparta set his firearm on a fencepost, and aimed, shot, and killed a bald eagle that was perched in a tree near the Farmers Fish Camp Road Bridge.

After killing the raptor, investigators say Gambill left the scene in his vehicle, abandoning the eagle carcass on the bank of the New River.

Two people who witnessed the shooting reported it, and the judge ordered that the fine Gambill pays be turned over to them.

In 1940 Congress enacted the Eagle Protection Act to protect the bird from extinction. It makes it a crime against the United States to kill a bald or golden eagle without a federal permit.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
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