The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Idaho Woman Charged With Killing Hunter's Pet Falcon to Save Duck The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Idaho Woman Charged With Killing Hunter's Pet Falcon to Save Duck

Monday, March 16, 2015

Idaho Woman Charged With Killing Hunter's Pet Falcon to Save Duck


Scott Dinger with other falcon
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - A woman who is suspected of beating a hunter's pet falcon to death with a beaded scarf after she saw it take down a duck, is facing a misdemeanor charge that the pet owner thinks is too lenient.

Patti MacDonald, 60,  was charged with beating the bird after authorities say she fractured the skull of the 8-year-old falcon, named, Hornet, on January 7.

Hornet's owner, Scott Dinger, said MacDonald should be charged with killing a protected species.

Dinger, who was hunting with Hornet at the time, was about 500 yards away when the bird of prey made a successful attack and landed with the duck.

He said he was approaching the spot when he saw MacDonald's red Jeep Wrangler pull up.

Hornet flew away, and Dinger found him dead about an hour later.

The duck also died.

According to Dinger, Hornet had been around humans since the day he was hatched.

"They don't really know they are falcons. That was probably a part of his undoing because you could walk up to him and he wouldn't fly or try to get away", said Dinger.

It is tough to accept what happened because he was so young, and falcons can live for about 30 years in captivity.

Craig Walker, a regional conservation officer for the Idaho Fish and Game Department, said he received an anonymous call from a woman saying she tried to save a duck from a falcon.

The phone system identified the caller as MacDonald.

Walker wrote in a report: 'The woman later stated that she had been very upset about the duck being injured, but felt bad about injuring someone's pet, because she "beat the crap out of it.'"

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said he reviewed Walker's report and determined the misdemeanor charge was appropriate.

Beating or harassing an animal is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 for a first-time offender.

Peregrine falcons were on the threatened and endangered species list, but they were removed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1999.

"There are between 2,000 and 3,000 breeding pairs of American peregrine falcons in Canada, Mexico, and the United States." according to the FWS.

It's unclear if Hornet was a peregrine.

Internet photo

Internet photo

Scott Dinger with other falcon
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