American Man Rescues Eagle By Firing 150 Bullets At It, Names It ‘Freedom’

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Published

July 5, 2016

If you’ve seen a sudden influx of patriotism on your social media timelines from all your American buddies, it’s because right now (US time) it is the Fourth of July, and as such everyone over there is getting very fired up on beers, freedom, liberty, hot dogs, and fireworks. Because the United States of America is the goddamned greatest nation on earth.

Though we all may be over here in our bottle rocket-less wasteland of a nation where we can’t even agree on which old white man we want to run the damned place, we can still appreciate the majesty of the USA by living vicariously through all things ‘Murica.

And lord, let me tell you somethin’. I ain’t seen a story more American than this one in a long, long time.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jason Galvin.

In the small, mostly rural town of Rush City, Minnesota, Jason and his wife Jackie Gervais Galvin came across a trapped bald eagle, that was stuck dangling from a tree branch with some rope trapped around its feet.

Jackie, wanting to do her due diligence, called everyone from the local sheriff, to the Raptor Department at the University of Minnesota (A REAL THING) to the local city hall and fire department. All of whom stated that they were aware of the bird, that it was sadly dead, and that there was nothing they could do for it.

Jackie, however, had other ideas, and asserted it was still alive owing to the fact that it was clearly moving. But after being told again that nothing could be done to help save the creature, she turned to husband Jason, a former Army Ranger sharpshooter, for help.

Borrowing a neighbour’s .22 rifle with an extended scope, Jason then proceeded to try and rescue the bird the only way he knew how: By shooting at it relentlessly.

With only about 4 inches of rope to work with, and America’s endangered national bird clearly in trouble, Jason took practice shots to adjust his sites, before peppering the rope that was holding the bird to the tree.

It took some 150 shots – ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY – none of which hit the bird in any way, before the rope snapped and the bird tumbled to the ground below.

A Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer, who was on-hand and gave Jason permission to commence shooting at the animal, helped rescue the fallen juvenile bird, which was then transported to the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Centre vet, where it is apparently being nursed back to health and is expected to make a full recovery.

Jackie posted the whole incredible story to Facebook, and it is a mighty read, I tell you.

“I told Jason he had to shoot it free! He was nervous as he didn’t want to get in trouble for shooting at an eagle but I know with his sharp shooter skills that if anyone would save this eagle it was him!

A neighbor at the cabin drove by and borrowed Jason his .22 as it had a better scope than Jason’s. It was windy and he only had about 4″ of rope to shoot without hitting the eagle. As he assessed the elements of the weather he took a couple of practice shots to ensure the sight was on target. It was. He began shooting at the rope.

An hour and a half later and 150 bullets, the eagle broke free from the branch and fell 75′ into the trees of the woods.

The DNR showed up about 1/2 hour before as he gave Jason permission to try to save this beautiful bird.

We wrapped him in a blanket and put him in our dog kennel and the DNR brought him to meet the Raptor Center Vet. It sounds like the eagle will recover perfectly and at 150 rounds shot, Jason never once hit the bird.”

BUT IT GETS BETTER.

Because of course the wee little eagle has to have a name now, the Galvin’s decided that, given the hyper-American circumstances surrounding this whole amazing yarn, they gave it the name ‘Freedom.’

FREEDOM.

TO RECAP: