The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is backing a plan to trap 16 sheep-hunting golden eagles and move them up to 400 miles away, including out of Wyoming.
The plan is both a research project and a way to âalleviate conflictsâ with domestic livestock, according to a memo to Game and Fish commissioners from the chief of the agencyâs wildlife division. The matter is scheduled for consideration and potential approval by the commission Thursday at its Jackson meeting.
The goal of the research is to identify best practices for relocating depredating golden eagles and reduce conflicts, said Nate Bickford, a Colorado State University professor in Pueblo, Colorado, who proposed the project. With todayâs technology enabling researchers to fit tracking devices on birds, the project could benefit both eagles and stock growers, he said.