Report: Bald eagles among 3,600 birds killed for parts by two men in Montana, indictment says

Two men are facing multiple charges after allegedly killing about 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, before selling the eagle parts on the black market, the Associated Press is reporting.

Simon Paul, 42, of St. Ignatius, Montana, and Travis John Branson, 48, of Cusick, Washington, face 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating wildlife trafficking laws, the report said.

According to the indictment, the men allegedly conspired with others to kill the birds and sell eagle feathers, tails, wings and other parts for “significant sums of cash” across the United States and elsewhere, the indictment said.

The killings began in January 2015 and continued until 2021 near Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the indictment stated.

It’s unknown how many of the 3,600 birds killed were eagles, the report said.