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Man who killed 118 eagles in years-long wildlife trafficking ring set for sentencing
www.oklahoman.com ^ | September 05, 2024 | Natalie Neysa Alund, Julia Gomez

Posted on 09/06/2024 5:52:57 AM PDT by Red Badger

A sentencing date has been set for man accused of slaughtering more than 3,600 birds, including more than 118 protected eagles, during a years-long wildlife trafficking ring out West, new court documents show.

Travis John Branson, 48, pleaded guilty in March to charges including conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and trafficking bald and golden eagles, in federal court in Montana.

According to a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday, Branson and his “crew” killed eagles and then sold them across the country for profit on the black market.

“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote the filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”

Branson estimated to make $360,000 on black market from 2009 to 2021

According to the court filling, prosecutors say Branson, of Washington state, sought to profit by shooting, killing, and selling eagles for years.

An investigation found Branson, and Simon Paul, of St. Ignatius, Montana, killed the birds - a crime "documented in Branson's own text messages," court papers show.

The co-defendants', court papers show, grew up in the Flathead Reservation area. After they were indicted in the case, Paul fled to Canada to evade justice.

During a review of Branson’s phone, agents recovered multiple photographs of Branson sending feathers and parts from eagles he recently killed.


TOPICS: History; Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Society
KEYWORDS: birdsofprey; branson; canada; feathers; flatheadreservation; indiandance; montana; poachers; poaching; powwows; scumbags; simonpaul; stignatius; talons; travisjohnbranson; wildlife
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1 posted on 09/06/2024 5:52:57 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger
Parts of Alaska have so many eagles that they have become a nuisance, behaving similarly to flocks of crows.
2 posted on 09/06/2024 5:57:27 AM PDT by kickstart ("A gun is a tool. It is only as good or as bad as the man who uses it" . Alan Ladd in 'Shane' )
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To: Red Badger

What’s the dead bird and eagle count on giant but useless windmills?

How bout dead whales, fish, seals and sea turtles from the turdbines they stuck in the ocean?


3 posted on 09/06/2024 5:59:12 AM PDT by CaptainPhilFan
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To: kickstart

Maybe God is ‘gathering them’ for a feast yet to come................


4 posted on 09/06/2024 5:59:23 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Maybe he identifies as a windmill?


5 posted on 09/06/2024 6:01:08 AM PDT by broken_clock (Go Trump! Still praying.)
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To: Red Badger

There’s really a market for dead eagle parts?


6 posted on 09/06/2024 6:03:42 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: Red Badger

“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote the filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”

I can understand someone buying a stuffed eagle. Who would want just part of one?


7 posted on 09/06/2024 6:05:13 AM PDT by scrabblehack
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To: scrabblehack

Probably Native Americans or Chinese ‘folk medicine’
black marketeers..................


8 posted on 09/06/2024 6:12:19 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: circlecity

Apparently a good one.................


9 posted on 09/06/2024 6:13:01 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

But if you kill them with windmills you go free.


10 posted on 09/06/2024 6:14:51 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Voltaire: To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.)
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To: circlecity

Yes there are black market sales for bird parts with some Indian Tribes. In Oklahoma, a group was arrested years ago for killing scissor tail fly catcher birds for sale on the reservations.


11 posted on 09/06/2024 6:17:17 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( Government is not reason, it is not eloquence-it is force!--G. Washington)
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To: circlecity

Natives I guess


12 posted on 09/06/2024 6:17:36 AM PDT by wardaddy (Thank you God for saving president Trump from murder)
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To: broken_clock
Maybe he identifies as a windmill?

Exactly. He's just carrying out the work of the "green" energy scam artists.

13 posted on 09/06/2024 6:19:03 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Red Badger
I'm a lex talionis kinda gal.

Smear the perp with raw fish and stake him out for the bald eagles to snack on.

14 posted on 09/06/2024 6:20:23 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!The fans )
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To: kickstart

Now arrest the windmill owners.


15 posted on 09/06/2024 6:21:55 AM PDT by wildcard_redneck (He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.)
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To: I want the USA back

You are correct. But if he went out to pick up the carcasses, he would have still been guilty of a crime.

I’m not for killing these burds but how asinine is it that power companies can legally kill these creatures but a single person cannot.


16 posted on 09/06/2024 6:25:57 AM PDT by shotgun
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To: Red Badger

Man was shooting endangered loons when an encon agent stopped and ran up to him and said “what in the world are you doing?”

The man says “getting dinner”

Encourage says “that’s agaisnt the law- they are endangered

Man says “oh wow, I didn’t realize- I promise i won’t do it anymore”

Encourage starts to walk away, stops, tu4ns and says “just out of curiosity, what does it taste like”

Man says “meh, they aren’t bad, but not newrly as good as spotted owl”


17 posted on 09/06/2024 6:28:57 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: I want the USA back

That they are being killed with the wind generators is just as wrong as purposely going out & shooting them. So wrong to desecrate our national bird in that way...or any way. Just as wrong not to prosecute those who do this...in ANY way.


18 posted on 09/06/2024 6:30:30 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: I want the USA back

That they are being killed with the wind generators is just as wrong as purposely going out & shooting them. So wrong to desecrate our national bird in that way...or any way. Just as wrong not to prosecute those who do this...in ANY way.


19 posted on 09/06/2024 6:31:08 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: Red Badger

Replace “eagles” with “babies” for a significant crime.

From Casting Crowns:
“ … United States of America,
looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children”

While You Were Sleeping, 2005


20 posted on 09/06/2024 6:43:20 AM PDT by greatvikingone
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