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2023 WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA SPUR AWARD FINALISTIn this groundbreaking work, McTee, a hunter and wildlife researcher in westernMontana, exposes a terrifying link between humans and eagles, while buildingthe framework for how to safeguard these iconic raptors. Highly recommended for anyone interested in how modern hunters are leading our nation's conservation efforts. -Montana OutdoorsWhen two raptor biologists unexpectedly walk into MikeMcTee's kitchen with a golden eagle, the bird's penetrating stare redirects his life. After years of research and speaking with dozens of raptorexperts, McTee discovers eagles across the United States have toxic lead lacingtheir veins, often from scavenging hunting remains peppered with bulletfragments. Armed with a background in chemistry and a deep knowledge of hunting,McTee latches to the issue, becoming an ambassador for eagles and lead-freebullets. Weaving hunting stories and eagle encounters, WiltedWings flies readers from Montana's "Golden Eagle Highway" to wild British Columbia, and to the desolateMongolian Steppe, where Kazakhs still hunt foxes with eagles. Drawing fromhistorical records, wildlife research, and expert opinions, McTee illuminatesthe braided natural histories of humans and eagles, framing a path that would striplead from the diets of these soaring icons. McTeehas conducted ballistics studies and hunted extensively with non-leadammunition. For hunters interested in going lead-free, Wilted Wings finishes with a supplemental section thatdetails how to find the right ammunition for your gun and understand itsdownrange capabilities.
List of contents
Table of Contents
Prologue
1 - Delayed Ignition
2 - Capture
3 - Before Unleaded Gas
4 - Lead Shot, Dead Ducks, and Poisoned Eagles to the Rescue
5 - Bring Me a Carcass, Hold the Poison
6 - The Copper Option
7 - Small Game, Big Exposure
8 - Legislate or Educate?
9 - American Eagle
10 - An Eagle’s Value (in Tugrik)
11 - Hunters as Allies
12 - Release
Epilogue
Switching to Nonlead Ammunition
Bibliography
About the author
Mike McTee shot his first weapon before he could recite the
alphabet. Now, understanding weapons is part of his job.
Mike’s career took this trajectory after he gained a B.S. in
Environmental Chemistry. Curious about potential pollution at a historic
shooting range in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, he earned an M.S. in Geosciences
studying the site. Strangely, the sulfur inside the trap and skeet targets
posed the main threat, not the lead in the shotgun pellets. But lead
contamination soon grabbed Mike’s focus. Each winter at MPG Ranch, where Mike
worked, biologists caught eagles suffering from alarming levels of lead exposure.
Mike soon initiated studies on scavenger ecology and began investigating the
wound ballistics of rifle bullets, the suspected source of lead. His research
has appeared in numerous wildlife and environmental journals.
Mike often connects with the public through his
writings and speaking engagements, whether it be to a local group of hunters or
a gymnasium full of middle schoolers. He frequently writes about the outdoors,
with credits to The FlyFish Journal, Backcountry Journal, Strung, and Bugle. He
lives with his family in Missoula, MT.
Summary
2023 WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA SPUR AWARD FINALIST
In this groundbreaking work, McTee, a hunter and wildlife researcher in western
Montana, exposes a terrifying link between humans and eagles, while building
the framework for how to safeguard these iconic raptors.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in how modern hunters are leading our nation’s conservation efforts. —Montana Outdoors
When two raptor biologists unexpectedly walk into Mike
McTee’s kitchen with a golden eagle, the bird’s penetrating stare redirects his life.
After years of research and speaking with dozens of raptor
experts, McTee discovers eagles across the United States have toxic lead lacing
their veins, often from scavenging hunting remains peppered with bullet
fragments. Armed with a background in chemistry and a deep knowledge of hunting,
McTee latches to the issue, becoming an ambassador for eagles and lead-free
bullets.
Weaving hunting stories and eagle encounters, Wilted
Wings flies readers from Montana’s “Golden Eagle Highway” to wild British Columbia, and to the desolate
Mongolian Steppe, where Kazakhs still hunt foxes with eagles. Drawing from
historical records, wildlife research, and expert opinions, McTee illuminates
the braided natural histories of humans and eagles, framing a path that would strip
lead from the diets of these soaring icons.
McTee
has conducted ballistics studies and hunted extensively with non-lead
ammunition. For hunters interested in going lead-free, Wilted Wings finishes with a supplemental section that
details how to find the right ammunition for your gun and understand its
downrange capabilities.
