GoldenEagle_HelicopterGunner_Stinebaugh_Jim_AustinTX_11April2002_Reel2180.mp3

Jim Stinebaugh [00:00:02] Well, sheep and goat ranchers in the hill country of Texas and western Texas and in the western United States of course have problems with predators, and have always been concerned about eagles, eagles taking lambs and kid goats. And the truth is that sometimes they do.

Jim Stinebaugh [00:00:21] But the Eagles have been protected since nineteen forty for bald eagles and the 1960s for Golden Eagles. And they just can't take the kind of pressure that's put on them by this type of hunting.

Jim Stinebaugh [00:00:35] And in Texas, there, there had not been any cases made on the killing of eagles, particularly from aircraft in many years out there. So when I got into this case, it was not something that there was any precedent on it. Well, we did charge one of the school board members, one of the county commissioners. We charged trapper from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that was a gunner in the helicopter with killing eagles.

Jim Stinebaugh [00:01:02] And it was the case was tried in San Antonio and Judge John Wood, who was later assassinated, sat the bench in that case. Judge Wood commented after that case was over that he had had more interest in that case than any case he had ever worked. And all those years on the bench, that was standing room only the whole time. And it was on TV every night and that was back in the days before recorders, so I don't have any of the tapes from those days. But Walter Cronkite talked about that on the news every night about the eagle killing from down in Texas. And course, it made pretty good shots of the people. The big ranchers are coming in with their big hats and things to the courthouse everyday in San Antonio.

Jim Stinebaugh [00:01:49] And it was strange because across the country, people were behind me and behind the Fish and Wildlife Service, but in that area it was almost like I was was a pariah there, someone that was trying to ruin a way of life by protecting eagles. So it was it's interesting. I go back into that country now and everything is fine. But at that time, it was quite exciting. And you find yourself looking both ways when you come out of your room and when you stop your car at the gate at night, you your ears are tuned to noises. And it's strange to think that those kind of things went on.

Jim Stinebaugh [00:02:28] But that was a very controversial trial and we convicted them almost two years to the day from the time I started the investigation and the courtroom was full of supporters for those people. I remember, the whole room was full of people sitting with their Resistol hats in their laps, you know. But it was, that pretty much put an end to helicopter hunting of eagles out in that part of the country.