Man kills over 20 bald eagles, hawks – gets 1 day in jail, Virginia officials say

Jennifer Rodriguez, The Charlotte Observer on Jun 2, 2025

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A Virginia man was sentenced to one day in jail and a fine of nearly $10,000 after officials say he admitted to killing over 20 bald eagles and hawks.

William Custis Smith pleaded guilty to unlawful taking of a bald eagle, according to court records.

McClatchy News reached out to Smith’s attorney for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The plea comes after an investigation that started during the 2023-24 waterfowl season, according to a May 27 news release from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Virginia Conservation Police Master Officer Brian Bratton received a report about a man “trapping and poisoning hawks and eagles on the Eastern Shore,” officials said.

Bratton said Smith built a “small waterfowl impoundment on his property.”

“He’s a big duck hunter, and he was in the process of trying to really get it going (and attracting ducks),” Bratton said.

When authorities interviewed Smith, they found a “pole trap” on his property, which is used to attract birds and snare them, officials said. They also found the carcass of a juvenile bald eagle on the ground.

Lab testing showed the eagle had been poisoned with a banned pesticide called carbofuran, according to the release.

When investigators spoke with Smith, he admitted to killing more than 20 bald eagles and hawks and handed over a can of carbofuran, officials said.

Authorities also found a pile of fish heads on the property and Smith admitted to poisoning them, according to court records.

“He showed us what was going on and told us what he was doing and why he was doing it. He was killing the hawks and eagles because they were killing all the ducks he was attracting to his impoundment. It was the time of year when hawks are migrating through. And in very late winter, the food supply really gets short, so these birds are looking for prey,” Bratton said.

On March 12, Smith was sentenced to one day in jail followed by two years of probation, court records show.

“He was very aware it was illegal, but in his mind, the ends justified the means, because he’s getting rid of the predatory birds to protect the ducks. That many hawks and eagles is pretty significant, so I feel like it’s a win for protecting the resource from further loss,” Bratton said.

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