Idaho Men Sentenced for Killing Golden Eagle and Hawks
BOISE, Idaho (KLIX)-Two Treasure Valley men have been sentenced for killing a golden eagle and several red tail hawks. According to U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez Jr., Colten Ferdinand, 20, and Wyatt Noe, 23, had gone into the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in 2021 and shot killed a golden eagle and five red tail hawks. The men were sentenced this week on one count each of taking a golden eagle without permission and one count of unlawful taking a migratory bird of prey without permission. The two were sentenced by a magistrate judge to two years of probation and 15 hours of community service. The two men will not be able to hunt for two years and will not be able to possess firearms for two years. Noe, of Eagle, had to give up his rifle and a pistol along with ammunition. He will have to pay $3,000 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Ferdinand, of Boise, had to turn over his rifle, ammunition and two flashlights. He was ordered to pay $3,800 in restitution to Idaho Fish and Game.
In April of 2021, during a multi-agency investigation law enforcement had been conducting nighttime surveillance in an area of the conservation area where they spotted Noe and Ferdinand with powerful lights shooting at wild birds. When confronted the two admitted to killing the golden eagle and hawks. The investigation began in March 2021, after reports of several birds of prey had been shot in the area; the species were multiple red tail, ferruginous, and rough-legged hawks, and golden eagles. More federally protected birds were reported shot and killed during the investigation. “These defendants knowingly shot and killed migratory birds and a golden eagle, which are protected under state and federal laws,” said Edward Grace, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement in a prepared statemet. “We thank the U.S. Department of Justice, the Idaho Fish and Game Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for their work on this investigation.”