Posted on 07/02/2016 5:24:11 AM PDT by marktwain
Jason Galvin spotted an eagle that was entangled in a bit of rope in a tree in Minnesota. It had been hanging there for two days. He told his wife, Jackie. She thought something must be done. But the authorities, the Department of Natural Resources, the Sheriffs Office, City Hall, the Fire Department, the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, didn’t. They all gave her the same story. They were tied up in red tape. No one could do anything, too much liability. The eagle was already dead.
The only thing they did not say, was “What difference does it make?”
But the Galvins knew different. Jason is an excellent shot. He really did serve in Afghanistan. He thought he could use a semi-automatic rifle, the popular Ruger 10-22, to free the eagle from its deadly entanglement. Fortunately, the authorities agreed to allow a private citizen to act when they were paralyzed. It was a team effort. Once Jason suggested the idea, Jackie insisted on it. He did the shooting. She did much of the coordinating and support.
It wasn’t an easy shot. It was actually about 150 shots. But who needs more than seven, right? The wind was moving the branches, there was little clearance between the eagle and the branch. It took perseverance and marksmanship, but Jason was up to the task. He finally shot through the branch, about two inches in diameter, and the eagle fell from its entangling, deadly predicament. It was taken to the Raptor Center. They named the eagle Freedom, and the Center says it will make it.
Those evil semi-automatic rifles are only good for one thing. Oops.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
The Authorities could do nothing because of bureaucratic paralysis.
I love a happy ending.
A Ruger 10/22 with scope is illegal in Washington State? Its a plinker, amazingly sad.
Looks like the eagle’s nest is in this tree tower the base of the branch the bird is dangling from. The animal might have become entangled with a bit of twine used to construct its own nest.
No, it is illegal to “transfer” a rifle in Washington State without a background check. The check has to occur at a fedeally licesensed dealer, and all the personal information and serial number, make and model of the rifle recorded.
The rifle in the story was borrowed from a neighbor who was driving by. His rifle had a better scope, so he loaned it to Jason. Totally illegal in Washington state.
It is an immature bald eagle. It was probably learning to fly when it became entangled. You are likely right about the cordage being from nest material.
Under CA’s newest laws, that particular loan will be prohibited in CA 1/1/17(?)also.
Thanks Dean. You are correct on the “coming to Nevada” bloomberg law on private transfers. With a few exceptions, we will end up like WA state. The ever present nannie bloomers, or at least his money, and the newtown momunists are pushing it and it doesn’t seem there are enough folks trying to counter Question 1 on the Nov ballot. Not counting on any of the organized national pro 2nd groups for much help. Sad dang state of affairs when abortion is protected by the Constitution but possessing a firearm appears not to be.
VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1 IN NOV.
And they’ve named the eagle “Freedom”. I guess that’s the punchline.
I’m amazed they were too paralyzed to threaten to arrest him if he discharged a firearm around the wild bird.
“The Authorities could do nothing because of bureaucratic paralysis. “
Ah, our government, hard at non-work. “We’ll let the eagle die because we can’t chance doing something that might hurt the eagle.”
It is amazing the power of the word “liability’.
Even in government bureaucracies, the managers are so risk-averse, they avoid doing obvious, rational things if someone says “liability”.
It is like a magic phrase that brings everything to a screeching halt.
It does this even with people who have almost no chance of ever suffering from a lawsuit. People who are insulated by layers of law and bureaucratic structure.
It is an amazing thing to watch. I saw a lot of it during my bureaucratic career.
Somewhere there will be a lefty just steaming over this story and plotting a way to make trouble for this vet.
Another in a continuing series: “Why ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help you’ is both the funniest and the scariest sentence in the English language.”
“I’m amazed they were too paralyzed to threaten to arrest him if he discharged a firearm around the wild bird.”
It is rural Minnesota, so there was a little bit of common sense lurking in the corners of the bureaucracy, timidly poking its nose out.
You are correct though. If the bureaucrats wanted to, they likely could have charged him with several crimes.
Lets see...
Taking a protected species.
Shooting across a road.
Disturbing the peace.
Hunting without a license.
Disturbing the nesting site of a Raptor.
Illegal possession of Eagal body parts.
As the book says, you cannot exist without committing three felonies a day, on average, whether you want to or not.
Hopefully, she was misquoted here:
"A neighbor at the cabin drove by and borrowed Jason his .22 as it had a better scope than Jason’s."
It was a quote, so I was not going to change “borrowed” to “loaned”.
All the more amazing that 100's of Very Special Agents in Charge can't find any dirt on H->!
“All the more amazing that 100’s of Very Special Agents in Charge can’t find any dirt on H->!”
Some animals are more equal than others.
What is amazing, is that is precisely what the left wants. They want rule by man instead of rule by law.
They think they will always be in charge, so it will not be used against *them*.
Hey, if you are a powerful political Democrat, it is a pretty good assumption.
It doesn’t say that at all. It says it’s illegal for him to borrow his neighbor’s rifle. That’s even worse.
I thought background checks were used to PURCHASE a firearm. Do they actually specify if you are legal and authorized to fire a particular weapon? Or did the author mis-state?
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