Bush Pardons Bird Killers

President Bush recently granted two of his infrequent pardons to brothers in Colorado Springs. The crimes? sales of mounted owls which occurred 14 years ago and carried $1000.00 fines. They served no jail time.

The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, prohibits the possession or sale of migratory birds, dead or alive, as well as their feathers, eggs or nests. The brothers committed dozens of violations–killing and mounting owls, herons, golden eagles. They were not involved in the trade in “traditional medicines" Each man received three years of probation and a $1,000 fine. It’s amazing the president has time to consider misdemeanor pardons–are these guys going to run for office and want to clear their "records"? Who on the White House staff came up with this–Chaney planning to shoot some eagles instead of quail?

Later that year, an undercover DOW officer went to Moldenhauer's house, where Moldenhauer offered to sell him a mounted great horned owl for $65, court documents show. The officer and two other undercover officers returned a few months later and found about two dozen more mounts of migratory birds, including a scaup and a great blue heron.

....Six months later, DOW officers returned to Thomas Moldenhauer's house, and together they went to his brother Jerry's house, where Jerry showed them a mounted Canada goose in his kitchen. Officers bought it for $150, court documents show. Jerry Moldenhauer also showed officers about 40 mounted migratory birds in his basement, including a golden eagle and several owls, court documents show.