Eagle hit by vehicle in Magoffin County

MAGOFFIN – Deer hit on local roadways are not uncommon. Bears occasionally are seen. Hawks and buzzards are in the vicinity, but usually away from the roads. But when a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officer got the call last week of a bald eagle hit on a Magoffin roadway, he could hardly believe it.

Matt Carson, the Wolfe County officer for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, got the call on May 14 of a vehicle versus bald eagle. 

“I thought it would be a red-tailed hawk when I got there, but sure enough it was a bald eagle,” Carson said.

A dead opossum was in the road, which he believes is what lured the bald eagle to the roadway, leading it to be hit by a motorist on US 460 west in Magoffin County (between Salyersville and West Liberty). 

When fish and wildlife officers arrived at the scene, the eagle was alert, with a possible broken right wing, but no life-threatening injuries.

Carson and Barry McCoy, the Montgomery County officer for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, found a rescue for the animal, scheduling a pickup by Raptor Rehabilitation, but they couldn’t get the eagle until the next day. 

Carson said McCoy had a cage at his house he kept the bald eagle in for the night, but laughed, saying they really didn’t have the right gear for that particular call.

“We put a shirt over its head and tied it’s feet up, but it was a full-size adult,” Carson said. “I’ve heard they can exert 300 pounds per square inch of grip with their talons.”

While they were not injured rescuing the eagle, it did get a hold of McCoy’s pants, causing several rips and tears. 

“This was definitely the first call I’ve ever had for a bald eagle,” Carson said. “I never would have imagined someone would hit one with a vehicle.”

The eagle is now at Raptor Rehabilitation, in Louisville, and believed to be able to make a full recovery.

By Heather Oney
The Salyersville Independent