COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho —
A Hayden man who shot and killed an osprey with a pellet gun will pay fines and spend time on probation.
Michael Hardin pleaded guilty Wednesday to unlawfully taking an osprey, a misdemeanor. The osprey was once critically endangered. Today, ospreys are protected birds of prey and it is illegal to harm them.
The citation stemmed from June 14, when Hardin shot an osprey that lived near his home on Avondale Golf Course. Neighbors found the dead bird and reported the incident to Idaho Fish and Game.
First District Judge John Cafferty sentenced Hardin to 90 days in jail but suspended the sentence and placed Hardin on unsupervised probation for one year. Hardin must pay a $600 fine, with $300 suspended, as well as $50 in restitution to Fish and Game. He must also complete an in-person hunter safety course.
Before delivering the sentence, Cafferty said the illegal taking of an animal is a crime against the community.
“The wildlife belongs to the people of Idaho,” he said. “You took your neighbor’s bird. You took my bird. You took (the prosecuting attorney’s) bird. You took the bailiff’s bird.”
Prosecutors said that although Hardin initially lied to law enforcement about killing the osprey, he later confessed and agreed to take responsibility for his actions.
After a neighbor cut down the tree where the ospreys had nested for more than eight years, the ospreys reportedly built a nest in a tree on Hardin’s property, about 100 feet above the ground. Hardin said the birds frequently relieved themselves while flying over his backyard, causing frustration and annoyance.
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