SALT LAKE CITY — Nighttime deer poachers beware — that shadowy creature on the side of the road may just be remote-controlled.
State wildlife officials across the country have for several decades been rolling out roadside robot decoys to nab unscrupulous hunters, and the effort has paid off with hundreds of citations.
A robotic deer decoy used in Georgia had to be replaced in 2006 after being shot more than 1,000 times.
“It’s a time of year when some Utahns can’t resist the sight of a big buck on the side of the road — even if shooting hours are over for the day,” said Amy Canning, a spokeswoman for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Utah’s five DWR regions now each have their own robot decoys, which are deployed in various spots along roads where poachers have been a problem in the past.
Hunting is not allowed at night in Utah, starting a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise.
Once a plan is in place, authorities put the mechanical deer near a road. Then they hide and keep watch, waiting for someone to take the bait, occasionally using the remote control to move the decoy’s head and tail “to make it look as realistic as possible,” said Utah DWR Sgt. Matt Briggs.
The shooters in Utah are issued a class B misdemeanor citation, punishable by up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Authorities also seize their weapons.
“I’ve seen an individual shoot it with a 30-06 (rifle) and couldn’t figure out why it didn’t go down after he hit it five or six times,” Briggs said. “It can be really entertaining.”
