A protected bald eagle shot late last month in northwestern Barnes County is recovering at the Dakota Zoo, and investigators are looking for the shooter.

A deer hunter in the area saw a man get out of a vehicle, walk a short distance and fire a shot. The hunter got his deer and was dragging it out when he flushed the wounded eagle near the location from where the shot came, Ken Torkelson, a spokesman for the U.S. FIsh and Wildlife Service, said Thursday.

The hunter reported the incident and was able to give investigators a description of the man and his vehicle. Authorities are looking for a silver, late model, extended cab pickup - possibly a GMC - with no topper and what the witness described as "a unique, green or blue stripe job."

The USFWS and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department are investigating the shooting.

The young eagle is doing well, said Terry Lincoln, director of the Dakota Zoo, and he is anticipating moving it from a holding pen to the exhibit area.

Its wing tip was "pretty much shattered," Lincoln said. "We did surgery to remove the wing tip. The bird will forever be a non-flier.

"It would have starved to death if it hadn't been picked up."

The shooting happened Nov. 25 on a Private Land Open to Sportsmen, or PLOTS, tract about five miles west and three-fourths of a mile south of Dazey, which is in Barnes County northwest of Valley City.

Authorities ask anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact the law enforcement branch of the USFWS in Columbia, S.D., at 605-885-6403 or any North Dakota district game warden. Callers also may report any information to the Report All Poaching hot line at 800-472-2121.

A reward is available for anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Anyone contributing that information to authorities can remain anonymous.

Investigators say people who shoot eagles believe raptors are responsible for taking large numbers of upland birds and waterfowl.

"That's not the case," Torkelson said. "Bald eagles are opportunistic feeders. They prefer fish, but frequently dine on carrion as well as sick or injured birds.

"Cases like this show a complete disregard for wildlife, and specifically our national symbol.".

Bald eagles are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The willful and blatant killing of any eagle is considered a violation of those acts. The maximum penalty for killing an eagle is a $100,000 fine and one year in jail.

(Reach outdoor writer Richard Hinton at 250-8256 or richard.hinton@;bismarcktribune.com.)