HALLWOOD, VA - The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has announced the conclusion of a months-long investigation into the illegal killing of numerous bald eagles and hawks on the Eastern Shore.
The investigation first began during the 2023-2024 waterfowl season, according to DWR, when they received an anonymous tip about a pole trap located near a waterfowl impoundment in Hallwood reportedly owned by William Custis Smith. Pole traps are used to attract birds of prey to land and then ensnare them, DWR says.
Upon locating the pole trap, investigators say they discovered the body of a juvenile bald eagle that had recently died. Conservation Police Master Officer Brian Bratton, leading the investigation, believed the young raptor had been poisoned and sent the corpse to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory for testing.
Investigators then set up cameras near the pole trap to potentially record any future raptor kills. According to court documents obtained by WBOC, subsequent visits to change out the camera’s memory cards and batteries revealed dead animals in the area. On one occasion, investigators said they noticed a pile of fish heads nearby surrounded by dead flies.
A video recording captured on February 19, 2023, showed a red-tailed hawk becoming ensnared in the pole trap, court documents read. Investigators said the bird struggled for hours before Smith was recorded bludgeoning it to death.
Several weeks later, court records say the necropsy report of the first dead juvenile bald eagle returned, revealing the young raptor had died of carbofuran poisoning. Carbofuran, a neurotoxic chemical, was pulled from US markets by the EPA in 2009.
“This particular poison acts so quickly that nine times out of 10 when an eagle, hawk or whatever eats something, it acts so quickly that they die with whatever they’re eating still in their claws,” Conservation Police Master Officer Brian Bratton said in a DWR publication released May 27. “It’s hard to explain, but they have just a certain look about them, the body posture. Once you’ve seen it once or twice, you can almost tell that’s what to suspect.”
A juvenile bald eagle found dead in Hallwood, VA. Lab results would reportedly reveal the young bird had been poisoned.
Finally, on March 31, 2023, investigators interviewed Smith. Authorities said in their report that Smith freely admitted to using the pole trap and to poisoning fish heads with Carbofuran to kill raptors on his property. DWR further claims Smith admitted to killing in excess of 20 bald eagles and hawks, mostly red-shouldered hawks and red-tailed hawks.
According to court documents obtained by WBOC, Smith pleaded guilty in March 2025 in United States District Court to one count of unlawful taking of a bald eagle in a plea deal. He was sentenced to one day in jail, two years probation, 50 hours of community service, and a fine of $9,800.
“We’re fairly familiar with the guy. We’d dealt with him before on some waterfowl violations,” a quote from Bratton reads on the DWR website. “He showed us what was going on and told us what he was doing and why he was doing it. He was killing the hawks and eagles because they were killing all the ducks he was attracting to his impoundment. It was the time of year when hawks are migrating through. And in very late winter, the food supply really gets short, so these birds are looking for prey. He was very aware it was illegal, but in his mind, the ends justified the means, because he’s getting rid of the predatory birds to protect the ducks. That many hawks and eagles is pretty significant, so I feel like it’s a win for protecting the resource from further loss.”