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A 65-year-old man in Macomb Township, Michigan, is paying the price for killing three young Cooper\u2019s hawks earlier this year. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Arthur Anderson shot the hawks in June to spite his utility company. Apparently, when the utility company told the man that they couldn\u2019t act on his request to remove trees from his property because some hawks had built a nest there, Anderson shot the protected birds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn June, Anderson hired a utility company to remove trees on his property,\u201d reads a press release from the Michigan DNR<\/a>. \u201cWhen the utility company refused to disturb the trees due to the birds\u2019 habitat, Anderson retrieved a shotgun from his house and shot the nest at least five times; three dead hawks then fell to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n The DNR received an anonymous tip about Arthur\u2019s actions soon afterwards, and conservation officers went out to Anderson\u2019s home to interview him and collect evidence. The DNR reports that Anderson lied to officers at first and claimed that he was shooting at some nuisance squirrels in the trees. He eventually told them the truth, however, and confessed that he shot the hawks because he was mad at the utility company.<\/p>\n Read Next<\/strong>: South Dakota Man Fined $13,300 for Poaching 14 Deer Because They Were Eating His Pine Trees<\/a><\/p>\n Anderson pleaded no contest to the poaching charges in district court on Dec. 9, and he now owes the state $4,500 in reimbursement costs ($1,500 per bird) along with $475 in additional fines. Anderson also faces six months\u2019 probation. The shotgun he used to shoot the hawks was confiscated by the DNR.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources greatly appreciates the court system\u2019s support in this case,\u201d DNR\u2019s Law Enforcement Chief Dave Shaw said in the press release. \u201cAll birds of prey are protected at the state and federal level and are an important and enjoyable part of Michigan\u2019s natural environment.\u201d<\/p>\n Cooper\u2019s hawks are federally protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act<\/a>, and it is illegal to shoot them in all 50 states. They were listed as a species of special concern<\/a> in Michigan until recently, and their total population in the state is estimated at 20,000 birds, according to Michigan DNR. Often confused with sharp-shinned hawks, these raptors are known as \u201cbird hawks\u201d because they prey on other, smaller bird species. They are frequently seen in suburbs and backyards, where they lurk in the trees and target songbirds coming to bird feeders. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n