From 1983-89, the Game Commission removed 88 eaglets from nests in Saskatchewan, and raised and released them through hacking. By 1996, the state's nesting eagle population had climbed to 20 pairs. Hacking is a falconer's term for maintaining a young bird in a semi-wild condition, providing food until it can fend for itself. In winter, an occasional eagle may turn up almost anywhere in Pennsylvania, except in a city. Wintering birds may form loose groups, or wander as individuals.
Younger birds are more inclined to wander.
Bald eagles can live 30 years or longer in the wild. They have few natural enemies. Some are killed by thoughtless humans, and others are electrocuted when they land on power lines. The bald eagle was chosen the United States' national symbol in 1782. At that time, an estimated 25,000 lived in what is now the lower 48 states.