SPOONER — It was sunny, windy and very chilly as people began to gather at the fields near Spooner Elementary School. The temperature sat at around 24 degrees, but the cold did not keep the people from coming.
Kim Ammann, DVM, arrived a little after noon, and she quickly attracted many of the people on site. The object of their curiosity was Maverick, an immature bald eagle, that would soon be released back into the wild after months of care at Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital in Spooner, founded by Ammann.
Winged Freedom is a registered nonprofit organization that rescues birds of prey, raptors such as eagles, owls and hawks. Free veterinary care is provided for the birds, supported 100% with donations from volunteers. Once healthy, like Maverick, the birds are set free.
“Winged Freedom is a team effort,” said the veterinarian. “I don’t do this alone. We have a whole army of people who volunteer and help.”
While located in Spooner, Winged Freedom takes raptors from a wide area of locations such as Frederic, Crex Meadows, Grantsburg, Hayward, Rice Lake and, in the case of Maverick, New Auburn. Wherever a raptor comes from, if they are injured and need help, they have friends at Winged Freedom.
“This eagle was found near New Auburn in September,” Ammann told the growing crowd as they shielded their faces against the blustery wind. “He had a wing fracture. He had surgery the following day, and all went well. We took the pins out, and he has been in our flyway. It takes awhile for them to exercise and build their muscles back.”
The flyway at the hospital is a large enclosure with natural lighting, places to roost and plenty of room to fly and heal at their own pace.
“This spring, he will turn 3,” reported the veterinarian, who is an expert at determining the age of an eagle by the amount of white in his feathers.
Eagles do not get their mature white heads for several years.
“We named him Maverick,” she said. “We had put it out on Facebook, and people suggested it … after ‘Top Gun’. It is our pleasure to work with these birds; I feel honored every day.”
Maverick was found along the road, like many raptors the victim of a collision with a car that broke his wing. It is not uncommon for drivers to see raptors along the road, feeding on a road-killed deer or rabbit. Unfortunately, the startled birds often fly into the vehicles, suffering broken wings, damaged eyes or worse. Ammann warns that if a driver sees a road-killed animal, it is very possible that an eagle or owl could suddenly fly up out of the ditch. She asks drivers to slow down to avoid collisions. Another option is to move the carcass farther from the side of the road if possible.
Lead is another enemy of the birds. Ammann explained that raptors often get lead from animals or fish they eat, such as venison containing fragments of lead shot. While waterfowl hunters no longer use lead shot, it does exist in some bullets. Fish also accumulate lead in their systems, and when eaten by a raptor, it goes to their gizzards.
Maverick was one of the lucky birds that was spotted by a driver who cared enough to help. His rescuer, Jamie Sarauer, came to Spooner to attend the release of the young eagle.
“I’m from the Colfax area,” he explained. “I normally wouldn’t have seen him, but I had slowed down. I just noticed him laying in the median, and I thought, I have to help him. I called the DNR and they asked if I could catch him. I had a big coat, and he didn’t run, so I wrapped him up and called the Spooner police. I was on my way to Minong. I couldn’t believe they wanted me to catch him, but I did. It will be pretty cool watching him take off.”
“He is covered up,” said Ammann. “So he is pretty calm now.”
Ammann performs the surgery on injured raptors, should they need it. Many dedicated volunteers back her up, as well as a growing number of private citizens who live in the area and love the wildlife, providing supplies and endless support. Unfortunately, not all the birds are as lucky as Maverick.
“We have run into a lot of birds that just can’t be saved. Some are just too badly injured,” said Ammann. “It is a huge undertaking. Last year, we took in 150 birds.”
For 25 years, Ammann practiced small animal medicine before founding Winged Freedom. In the Twin Cities, she often worked on dogs and cats but always took in birds as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After moving to Spooner and working in veterinary medicine for 15 years, Ammann retired and turned her attention to injured raptors.
Ready to fly“Jamie wrapped Maverick in his jacket and brought him in on Sept. 12,” Ammann told the onlookers. “He had surgery and pins in his wing for three weeks. He’s done so well. He’s ready to go.”
“Thank you people for all that you do!” someone from the crowd shouted as volunteers moved Maverick in a pet carrier out into the field.
The rest of the crowd offered cheers.
Maverick hopped out of the carrier, and without wasting a second caught the wind, made a quick turn and headed north. And then he was gone. It all took less than a minute. But those attending all felt it was well worth it.
“That was awesome,” remarked one, still watching the sky.
As for Ammann, she had a birthday to celebrate.
“I can’t think of anything better for a birthday than to take a broken animal and be able to let it go,” she said.
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