Hunt for Justice: The True Story of an Undercover Wildlife Agent

by Lucinda Delaney Schroeder

"A true story that reads like a mystery."—Tony Hillerman

 

“A suspenseful page-turner and a tale of true courage.”
—Ted Kerasote, author of Bloodties

 

“Schroeder illuminates an unusual, insular world with unflinching grit.”—Publishers Weekly

 

For thirty years Lucinda Delaney Schroeder held an unusual government position: She was one of a handful of women special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In August 1992 she accepted an assignment that forever changed her life. The petite blonde left behind her husband and seven-year-old daughter in Wisconsin and posed as a divorcee big-game hunter in Alaska in order to infiltrate an international ring of poachers out for trophy wildlife. A Hunt for Justice takes readers along during Schroeder’s dangerous mission. More than an adventure or true-crime tale, it is the story of a woman surviving in a male-dominated field, a woman against the wilderness, and a wife and mother risking it all for a cause she believes in. Selected for the 2007 Amelia Bloomer Project list of recommended feminist literature for young readers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, True Crime, Nature, Biography Memoir, Crime, Animals

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fellow wildlife officer i had an instant connection with the author and deeply understood her struggles and motivations. The book as a whole was nothing ground breaking or earth shattering. It was a well done telling of a very prominent undercover operation to catch some "puke" outfitters in Alaska. I was moved by her emotion when left alone in the vast Alaskan wilderness with criminals who on many occassions made threats to kill any Game Wardens caught near their camp. That coupled with her fear of being a woman alone with these men of questionable character made for very suspencefull reading. Sportsmen and women, animal advocates, and true lovers of outdoor sports will enjoy this book. I did get a kick out of the fact that i have worked with several people mentioned in the book, and others that have worked with the author herself.

[Kate]

This book is about a part of the country (NW Wisc.) that I call home.

[Jerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a mystery novel but it's better because it takes you inside the world of wildlife cops and tells a true story of stopping poachers in Alaska.

[Andrea Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read in a while. Reads like a novel.

[Victor Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the book I was expecting, but in a way, that's what makes it so compelling. I was recommended this book after watching & loving the movie Wind River. Something struck a chord there and this book seemed extremely similar in its concept: A female agent going out alone into this very cold, remote place to undermine a deeply male-dominated world in order to solve a crime. Those parallels didn't exactly pan out in the final product, but what I took away was an even deeper respect for the US Fish & Wildlife department and a fuller understanding of just how badass their agents are.

I am so glad that people like agent Schroeder exist and it is difficult to process the sheer lack of respect and integrity of the poachers she chases. Woven throughout the book are plenty of references to legal, traditional, sustainable hunting, an important reminder when the villains are trophy hunters who will pay thousands of dollars to have a pilot literally spot an animal from the air and chase it toward a waiting gun. This despicable practice (among others) is the kind of technique that allows high-dollar outfitters like the one busted in this story to sell "guaranteed" hunts, attracting unscrupulous trophy-chasers and making far more money by removing the pesky principle of "fair chase" from their bottom line.

My only criticism would be that, like many memoirs from retired professionals, Schroeder was a cop, not a writer, so the writing is pretty simple, straightforward, and at times stilted. Definitely read it for the content and the story, but not so much its literary merits.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I wanted to read it after seeing the story featured on TV so I went in knowing the ending but the show was so inspiring I just had to read what she wrote about it. I rally enjoyed her writing style. Very friendly, and to the point. The story moves along well with no boring parts in my eyes. I rate this a five more for my adoration of Agent Schroeder and the absolutely jaw dropping work she did on this case. The crimes described truly break my heart and knowing there are people out there like her that will go above and beyond to put a stop to it is a story I would read again and again.

[matt sakaguchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agent Schroeder is a hero in the true sense of the word. Her passion for wildlife led her on this big adventure, culminating a career full of unsung actions. Undercover work is by far the most stressful role in law enforcement, and this is a page-turner. She took very large risks to her own personal safety, and her life into her own hands as she doggedly pursued the real-life villains. Being a woman made her challenges that much more difficult and dangerous, however that didn't stop her from taking decisive action under harrowing circumstances.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect, but this book was really enjoyable. It was well written (other books of a similar topics are not). I was disappointed at first to find out that the book was really focused on one undercover operation and not her entire carrer. However, after reading a detailed account on what was involved, I was impressed how these operations work. Definatly undercover work is not a career for me. I also think that Lucinda Schroeder has made it onto my hero list.

[Ruth York · Rating 4 out of 5]

True story, by a female undercover wildlife agent. The book is about one of her cases (and I guess, maybe her largest) involving poaching and illegal hunting in Alaska. Very interesting, and even though I assumed she "got her man", I was kept engaged, and couldn't wait to see what the outcome was. The writing was easy to read, and I enjoyed it.

[Kelly Willett · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who wants to understand what hunting (and poaching) in Alaska is like, this book is a good little read. Being from Alaska it was nice to see the details of how this operation was taken down.

[Rick Haner]

A true story of a bar owner in Danbury WI. I know the man well and spent countless hours drinking at the Fishbowl and listening to Greg Johnson telling the tales of his Alaskan "hunting" trips. Great story and a great job by the author for taking him down.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is one brave woman. Poaching is an awful crime and another way we are ruining our world. I applaud her efforts and the efforts of all other wildlife agents.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of an undercover operation in The Brooks Range in Alaska by one of the first female Fish and Wildlife Officers. This woman has nerves of steel. Great book

[Casey Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good true crimes story.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating true story that reads like a novel.

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title sounded interesting. Going into it I thought it would be several stories about one of the first female Wildlife agents to go into the Alaskan wilderness to hunt poachers. I am sure this woman must have many stories to tell but this book focuses on just one. I think it would have been a better book if there was more than one story to tell. The conversations are too long and the author focuses on too many unimportant details, such as what she had to eat. It was hard to read at some points because she goes into detail about killing the animals and butchering them. I just cant understand killing beautiful animals just for the sport of it. I pretty much skimmed to the end because I wanted to see how it all turned out. Unfortunately, even though she took out a few poachers, there are still a lot of them left and they can make a lot of money so they dont care if they kill the last surviving animal or not.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this account of a wildlife officer going undercover to build a case against poachers in Alaska. The story is so engrossing that the book manages to overcome the author's somewhat prickly personality.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

You never know who you may be hunting with

[Jason Slemons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great writing but interesting from a gender roles perspective(in terms of the authors sense of self its interesting). Good story too.

[Jmsinessex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story; not especially well told

[Holly Dumproff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe this is a true story! It reads like a thriller. I would have liked more depth of feeling at times. But overall this is an intense story with a lot of interest.