MARQUETTE — The Chocolay Raptor Center has announced a young red-tailed hawk will be released back to the wild this Saturday. The release will take place at 1 p.m. in a field in L’Anse.

The hawk was rescued just over a month ago, unable to fly in that area, according to the release from the raptor center.

It was taken to Beth Maata, who has been doing raptor rehab for several years as an associate of the Chocolay Raptor Center, and now has her own permits. Exam revealed that the hawk had been shot; X-rays revealed several pellets still in the hawk’s body, with a damaged wing bone that was starting to heal.

After consultation with a veterinarian, it was decided that surgery to remove the pellets would likely do more damage than leaving them. Over the next several weeks, the wounds healed and the bird got stronger. Maata brought the bird to the CRC to test its flight capability just over two weeks ago. It is now fully flighted, fit and ready for release.