The law enforcement case depicted on this page is an actual CLOSED CASE. More cases will appear on this page over time.

Throughout my career as a special agent with the US Fish and Wildlife, I often changed my name and identity. In each case the changes were made to catch subjects known to be violating wildlife laws.

In November of 1987, I was "Dana," the wife of a man from South Dakota who "owned" a sporting goods shop. My "husband" was really my boss. We were assigned to book hunts with a guide operating just north of Corpus Christi, Texas, who was highly suspected of taking his clients on illegal waterfowl hunts. The only way to fully document what he was doing was to hunt with him and determine for ourselves what he was up to. Hunters who had hunted with him before, and knew of his illegal activities, were conspicuously silent.

Once in the marsh with the guide who I'll call "Billy," it didn't take long for us to become friendly. I told him I didn't know much about waterfowl hunting and wanted him to teach me. Responding to his "mentorship," I quickly became proficient at downing Pintails, Teal, and Mallards. At one point he told me to shoot a Black duck for which there was no open season.

We hunted twice a day. Early in the morning and after sundown when it was so dark that I found myself shooting Pintails by the sound of their distinctive whistling and the beats of their wings. The front of our blind was raining ducks, and just flock shooting brought down several. This is the very reason it's illegal to shoot past sundown. Waterfowl like to fly at nightfall and the opportunity to shoot over the legal limit is often very high.

The picture on this page is of me with "Billy" and fifteen ducks, well over the legal limit of five. These were my birds, my "husband" had even more. For the benefit of the photograph, which was later used as evidence, I set aside the black duck that "Billy" told me to shoot. These birds were declining in numbers and were illegal to shoot. All of the ducks in this picture were later tagged as evidence.

Later in the season another team of agents hunted with "Billy" to guard against the defense that "Billy" only violated the law with "Dana" and her husband. These hunts proved that "Billy's" violating ways were routine. He was arrested for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and was later convicted of his crimes. "Billy" paid a fine and lost his guides license for a period of time.

This photograph makes an appearance in A Hunt for Justice in a bar scene where I produce it to prove to a suspected poacher and guide that I was capable of violating the law. The photograph helped to seal my dubious credibility with the guide who only needed a good reason to invite me into his shrouded world. Once my target saw this photograph he knew that I was safe bet for an illegal hunt in Alaska. After all, I was just like him.