Men charged with illegal killing of 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles to sell

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

Updated 9:45 AM CST, December 14, 2023

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A federal grand jury in Montana has indicted two men accused of killing about 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles, and selling them on the black market.

The indictment returned in U.S. District Court last week charges Simon Paul and Travis John Branson with 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife.

“The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to protect the bald eagle, recognizing that the bald eagle is not merely a bird of biological interest, but this country’s national symbol which reflects America’s ideals of freedom,” the indictment states. The act was extended in 1962 to include golden eagles.

Branson, Paul and others hunted and killed thousands of birds, including eagles, on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then illegally sold them for significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere, the indictment states.




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/bald-golden-eagles-trafficking-black-market-montana-9bd7f718288f4f3e87e2c69863de4117

[GreenWave]

2. We have golden eagles here in Virgin Eye Aa.

I wondered what would cause them to migrate so far from their "homeland". I just checked a map, it says in my area they do not breed. What?? They can breed all they want. I will not report them.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

4. 3600.

Hope that gets them a good long term.

[Marthe48]

5. Hope these guys rot to death in jail

A few years ago, my husband and I saved a stunned sparrow hawk from heavy traffic. I held it in my hands until it came to and boy did it. We were away from traffic, within view of its territory and quickly rolled down the car window and let it fly. Holding that fierce bird for a moment is an experience I treasure.

After that, in the same area, I saw 2 bald eagles doing barrel rolls in a the sky above a field. So beautiful, I cried the rest of the drive. How anyone can put price tags on every single thing on the planet is beyond my understanding.

[Paladin]

7. My sentiments exactly.

And while they're rotting in their jail cells, I hope plenty of raptors fly by their cell windows, alive and free.

[thucythucy]

6. Can they track down this man's customers?

Seems to me they should also be charged, if possible.

[Marthe48]

8. And any co-conspirators

That many birds, I bet they had help

[flashman13]

9. These two assjacks need to do some serious time in Deer Lodge.

They couldn't possibly have carried out these sales without a trail of financial transactions. The government should recover those transactions and total up what they made. Then I would say a fine of say 10 times the ill gotten gains would be appropriate. That might discourage other bird killers from doing similar things.

[maxsolomon]

21. Likely to walk away with fines.

Might lose their gun rights, probably won't be able to get a hunting license from here out.

Poaching cases don't seem to draw real prison time. At least the massive poaching ring in SW WA in the late teens didn't.

[world wide wally]

10. Get an honest job, assholes

[pwb]

11. Sounds like something trumps kids would do.

.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. Ivanka and Jared

wouldn't bother with such a small amount of money. Not after their MAJOR grift of confiscating ALL PPE during the Pandemic and reselling it for massive profits for their selves...........

Anyone who questions that should read about the extarordinary amount of work it took Mass to get ahold of their much needed shipment of PPE they ordered from another country. They had to plan and execute a way to get past U.S. Customs, which was confiscating all shipments of PPE coming from other countries and then given to Ivanka and Jared to "distribute".......

Ivanka and Jared were withholding ALL PPE from the blue state of Massachusetts, regardless of the price they would pay, and shipping THREE TIMES the amount of PPE ordered, to the Red state of Florida/DeSantis at no charge............

The story about how PPE was being obtained for MASS was incredible.......

[Mysterian]

12. I really hope these are felonies

These evil criminals should be barred from owning firearms.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. What good is a dead bird? Was the guy on rez an indigenous person?

Last edited Thu Dec 14, 2023, 06:50 PM - Edit history (1)

Eating? Turkey is cheaper.

Taxidermy?

Feathers?

Unrelated, but was the guy on the reservation a tribal member?

[FakeNoose]

15. Taxidermy is my guess

Of course, anyone who buys a stuffed and preserved bird (or any animal) that's on the endangered list is breaking the law.

[Evolve Dammit]

16. Is hanging allowed there? Pretty sure it is. Seems appropriate. Fucking pisses me off.

[Evolve Dammit]

17. This is like the assholes decimating buffalo herds for sport from trains, or "trophy" killing. Fuck em. Rant off

[Cherokee100]

18. Sounds like

Sounds like 'trumpsters/magats' to me.

[Evolve Dammit]

19. Like the ones that carved Trump" into a manatees back??

[republianmushroom]

20. Jail these 2 for a long. long, time and those that bought the dead birds.