Man who led illegal duck hunting trips to B.C. pleads guilty in U.S., faces US$175K fine

A pair of harlequin ducks are pictured in this undated file photo. (Shutterstock)

A Washington state resident and his company have admitted in U.S. court to illegally leading duck hunting trips into British Columbia, where he was not allowed to operate as a guide.

Branden Trager and his company Mayhem Services LLC now face a recommended total of US$175,000 in fines for related crimes they also admitted committing.

The Brush Prairie, Wash., resident and the company pleaded guilty Monday in a U.S. court to violating the Lacey Act, a U.S. federal law that prohibits the trade and transport of wildlife taken in violation of domestic or foreign law.

“In pleading guilty, Trager admitted he and Mayhem Services violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) during a January 2023 hunting trip in western Washington and then transported the taken birds in violation of the Lacey Act,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release Tuesday.

“Trager also acknowledged that in 2022 he brought hunters into British Columbia, Canada, where he guided waterfowl hunting trips targeting the harlequin duck. He could not operate as a hunting guide under Canadian law.”

According to the department, the harlequin duck ranges from Alaska to California and is prized by hunters as a trophy and as part of a challenge to hunt 41 species of North American waterfowl.

Washington state closed harlequin hunting for the 2022-23 season, but limited hunting remained open in B.C., the department said.

The plea agreements filed in court recommend fines of $100,000 for Trager and $75,000 for his company. A sentencing in the matter is scheduled for Oct. 16.

When it first announced the charges in January, the department alleged Trager had not only violated the MBTA and the Lacey Act, but also conspired with an unnamed, B.C.-based taxidermist to send the birds back to the United States.

• Read more: U.S. hunting guide charged with conspiracy, wildlife violations for B.C. hunts

The latest release from the Department of Justice makes no mention of the conspiracy charge, suggesting that it may have been dropped. CTV News has reached out to the department for more information on what happened to that allegation. This story will be updated if a response is received.

According to the department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement led the investigation, with help from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Homeland Security Investigations.