A northern Wisconsin wildlife rehabilitation center is once again asking hunters to save deer hearts so they can be fed to the eagles they are caring for.
Marge Gibson of Antigo’s Raptor Education Group said hunters shouldn’t discard the hearts when they clean deer carcasses.
“The raptors are hunters too,” she said. “And so this is a very good way for hunters to help other hunters — by saving the heart of the deer which would normally be just left in the woods.”
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The raptor center is currently taking care of 42 hungry bald eagles.
“We have a lot of birds that are eating a lot of meat, and we go through about 1,200 pounds every two weeks,” said Gibson. “So the wild meat and the heart of the deer — which has no fat, a very good food for our birds — it’s really beneficial to us and to our patients.”
A number of meat markets and deer processing centers are helping with the effort, and are listed on the Raptor Education Group Facebook page.
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