Two men were arrested in Montana for killing about 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles. This took place on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then they sold eagle parts on a black market that has been a long-running problem for wildlife officials, a federal grand jury indictment said. 

The two men worked with others to hunt and kill the birds, according to the indictment, and in at least one instance used a dead deer to lure in an eagle that was shot. The two defendants conspired with others who weren’t named to sell eagle feathers, tails, wings and other parts for significant large sums of cash.

The two men face 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating wildlife trafficking laws. 

The indictment said the killings began in January 2015 and continued until 2021 on the Flathead Reservation. The indictment did not say how many of the 3,600 birds killed were eagles. 

Rich Jansen, director of the tribes Natural Resources Department said, “We just hope that if these individuals are proven guilty that it will serve as a warning to others that we are watching.” He also said that members of the tribes use eagle feathers for traditional dress and in honor ceremonies. 

Bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States, and both bald and golden eagles are widely considered sacred by American Indians. United States law prohibits anyone without a permit from killing, wounding or disturbing eagles or taking any parts such as nest or eggs. Even taking feathers found in the wild can be a crime. 

Federally recognized Indian tribes can apply for permits with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a bald or golden eagle for religious purposes and enrolled tribal members can apply for eagle feathers and other parts from the National Eagle Repository, but there is a tremendous backlog of requests. 

The researchers said that the backlogs could be driving the black market for eagle parts. Feathers from young golden eagles are especially in high demand, with waits as long as 5 years to receive them from the repository.

It was stated that the area where the birds were being shot has some of the highest concentrations of eagles and other large raptors in the United States West. That includes breeding hawks and eagles and other birds that migrate from the north to winter in the Flathead area. It was also stated this area is basically a raptor bonanza at certain times of the year, which would make it ripe for this type of illegal activity.