Quote Originally Posted by Don Lacy View Post
You can not be within 500 feet of a nest there is no restriction for perched or flying birds and the bird has to be listed as endangered. Bald Eagles are no longer listed as endangered but they still are protected under a different statue for Bald and Golden Eagles
There are restrictions for bald eagle, nests and hunting perches. BEs are not Endangered by they're considered of Special Concern, despite their huge, growing numbers. I shoot at a Hunting Perch which literally has a picnic table under it. The law allows for historical bird/people usage, so that I don't believe that I'm violating any law when I'm much, much closer than 500-feet, while casual strollers literally walk underneath the birds.

Still, this should be of great concern to all here. I'm on very good terms with the rangers at this particular park and they're very realistic about what's reasonable. This is a Colorado State park. Still, I've been standing in the same place and have some know-it-all from a local raptor rescue read me the riot act. In my limited experience, Federal agents can be a lot less understanding than our Colorado State rangers. If some do-gooder reports you for harassing a raptor, it might be expensive to defend yourself.

We should all know the exact status of the birds that we photograph and be aware of others in the area that might be anti-photography. Most "birders" are understanding, but some are downright hostile. You never know when they might be good friends with a Federal agent and cause you a lot of trouble.

Can you tell the difference between a Sage Grouse and a Gunnison Sage Grouse by just looking? If you're going to shoot either in Colorado, then you **** well better know, since the Gunnison is Endangered and SG is merely of Special Concern. There's a road where you can park in your car blind on the shoulder and the SG will literally surround you. That's okay under the SC rules, but not Endangered. It turns out that their territories overlap, so be careful. That's just an example.