Washington man accused of ‘killing spree’ for shooting thousands of birds, including bald eagles

A man from Northwest Washington is facing federal charges in connection with the illegal shooting of nearly 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles.

US prosecutors indicted Travis Branson from Cuskic — north of Spokane — and Simon Paul from Montana, on more than a dozen charges.

Among them are conspiracy and unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles.

Prosecutors say the men killed thousands of birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation and sold them on the black market.

According to the New York Times, court records show that in messages, Branson admitted he was on a “killing spree” and was out “committing felonies.”

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