SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- An elderly hunter from Western Massachusetts will pay a substantial fine after shooting a bald eagle.

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Jack Harper Reports On Fine

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that until recently, the bald eagle, the symbol of America, was on the endangered species list. This was the third shooting of a bald eagle in Massachusetts in 20 years.

Joseph Donohue, a 79-year-old World War II veteran from Pittsfield, Mass., was fined $5,000 and ordered not to hunt for two years.

Donahue was pheasant hunting when he shot and killed a bald eagle in 2003. He admitted shooting at a shadow.

"If you don't know what it was, you can’t take your rifle out and shoot it out of the sky because it could be a protected species," said prosecutor Nadine Pelligrini.

Donahue faced up to a year in jail.

"(The judge) took into making his decision the age of the defendant, his service in World War II, and the fact that he is probably not likely to do this again. If this was someone the judge viewed to continue to be a threat to wildlife, he might have jailed the person," said Chris Dowd, of U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

From 1905 to 1979, there were no nesting bald eagles in Massachusetts. Restoring the species took years of work and lot of money.

"We have 18 nesting pairs and our numbers keep going up. We keep being delighted every year when we find new nests. Shooting is not one of the mortality factors that we want to be having to deal with," said Tom French of the Massachusetts Fisheries Department.

"It was an honest mistake made in an area that is highly hunted. It is tragic that he killed an eagle. I think $5,000 is a little harsh," said defense attorney Mark Brennan.

Donahue told the judge that he sold his guns after the incident.