Wilted Wings

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.

• Table of ContentsPrologue1 - Delayed Ignition2 - Capture3 - Before Unleaded Gas4 - Lead Shot, Dead Ducks, and Poisoned Eagles to the Rescue5 - Bring Me a Carcass, Hold the Poison6 - The Copper Option7 - Small Game, Big Exposure8 - Legislate or Educate?9 - American Eagle10 - An Eagle’s Value (in Tugrik)11 - Hunters as Allies12 - ReleaseEpilogueSwitching to Nonlead AmmunitionBibliography

"(Wilted Wings is) built of personal experiences in both hunting game animals and rehabilitating poisoned eagles ... it thrills like an adventure story, engages like a novel, and paints images like our finest nature writing." —Big Sky Journal“In McTee’s brilliant,heart-breaking first book, he illustrates through personal accounts of hisexperience with birds of prey, that lead poisoning is an ongoing problem andtaking a terrible toll. I highly recommend Wilted Wings to allnaturalists and hunters.”—Stephen Bodio, author of AnEternity of Eagles“I had never considered how lead makes its way from successful big game hunts and into the bloodstreams of these majestic raptors, eventually debilitating or killing them in an excruciating manner. In a mere 146 pages, McTee lays out this hiding-in-plain-sight issue, explains how we got here, and offers some reasonable, doable solutions that could solve the problem. I predict that years from now, we’ll look back on McTee's book as the catalyst for bolstering the populations of these iconic birds.” —Ed Roberson, founder of Mountain & Prairie“I wish I could put McTee’s book in the hands of every hunter and bird conservationist.” —Matt Miller, Cool Green Science"Wilted Wings brings us intothe mountains pursuing big game. As a scientist and one of the nation's leadersin the fight for switching to non-lead ammo, McTee studies pathways by whichraptors and other scavengers are exposed to lead. In this page-turning memoir,Wilted Wings provides the undeniable solution to lead poisoning inraptors." — Vince Slabe, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist and Science.orgcontributing author"Wilted Wings is the most comprehensive and readableexplanation I’ve found on the science of lead poisoning in raptors and otherscavengers, and on why hunters should consider switching to nontoxicbullets, as I did several years ago. Highly recommended for anyone interestedin how modern hunters are leading our nation’s conservation efforts."—Tom Dickson, Editor, MontanaOutdoors, the Magazine of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks“Now, more than ever, it is imperative that hunters understand the technical, ecological, and social consequences associated with their choice of hunting ammunition. McTee explains why, in simple but technically understandable terms, switching to nonlead bullets is good for conservation, good for hunting, and good for people. Thoughtful hunters are well-served by McTee's research.”—Gordon R. Batcheller, Certified Wildlife Biologist and President of The Wildlife Society"A heartfelt call to action,Wilted Wings makes the compelling case that our choices matter—for humans, ourwinged fellow hunters, and many other wild species. Hunting lead-free is a winfor us all."—Tovar Cerulli, authorof The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance“Follow Mctee across the Montanalandscape as he chases his winged companions to learn the negative effects thathumans and hunters are having on these animals. It’s a story of accountabilityand the pursuit of what is right instead of what is easy. I hope this bookinspires you to stand up for something you believe in the way it did for me.After all, what could be more patriotic in this country than saving countlesseagles along the way.” —Adam Brown, Outside Bozeman“(McTee) weaves together eagleencounters, research, hunting stories, and history, juxtaposing human storieswith those of wild animals, we get to see not only his love for the animals hestudies, but the intricate layers of interdependency … Wilted Wings is acautionary tale, a call to action, and, ultimately, a story of hope.” —MontanaNaturalist "Wilted Wings was painstakingly written to appeal to a wide audience. The story will grip hunters, non-hunters, scientists, non-scientists, raptorphiles, or even the casual raptor fan alike. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the ongoing struggle to account for and manage lead in our environment." —Journal of Raptor Research