Skyhigh

I was watching a show this week, which had video of Game Wardens using mechanical game to lure poachers. They have the poachers on film driving up, getting out of their vehicle and shooting at fake deer, bears, birds, etc. After the shot, they arrested them.

Has anyone actually seen this set-up in the woods or heard of someone seeing it. I thought it was a great tool the catch poachers.

James Vee

They had one east just out of Grand Rapids Mn for a while. I guess they busted like seven people with it. But yeah, I think they are a great idea.

Tree climber

they use a deer and a turkey gobbler in my neck of the state.
THey have taken a lot of illeagle " Not Hunters" but poachers.the deer they have looks like one from Buckmasters,or from Pa. or somewhere with 180,190 class bucks.we are lucky if we have a 120 buck.but they still catch them trying to shoot it.
It was on Hwy 24 last year in a clear cut,about 100 yards off the road.

Russ otten

Our local Game Warden has set up in our hayfield for the last 4 years. We' re in a very rural community. He has made at leat 4 " busts" in that time. One, when the deer didn' t fall, shot it a second time. Here' s one for you: A couple years back, they called and checked about bringing it out in a few days. Coming back from town two days later, I saw what I thought was the decpy on the edge of the timber. After parking at the house, I walked down the 200 yds to the field to look at it. Much to my surprize, a ten point bolted from the edge of the timber and ran to the trees on the other side. That was a dang realistic " decoy"

trailer

The conservation officers had a moose decoy set up a couple years ago north of the city. The moose decoy was set up about 200 yds from the gravel hi way. We had just drove up when the truck with the so called hunters had been caught. Lights were flashing and everything. I had found out later that they had been charge with quite a few counts even not wearing hunter orange. I wonder if the guys had learnt a lesson?

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trac209

We had a police chief of a major city in my province that got caught shooting at a decoy deer and I don' t recall exactly what happened, but I think they agreed not to charge him if he retired.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I too think it' s a great tool for catching these losers but what a black eye for hunting when showed on television. Although these people are poachers and not hunters, what do you think the non hunting public thinks about hunters when viewing these shows? Who give a rats rectum what anti' s think because you can' t change thier minds anyway, however it' s the non hunting people we need on our side.

timbercruiser

The police chief should have been charged and prosecuted just like any other poacher.
I read an article a couple of years ago that was written by a game officer about the use of decoys. He had a number of amusing stories, one of which was about someone stopping on the roadside and shooting the decoy about 6 times. Then he reached in the back of the pickup and grabbed a tiretool and ran down the hill and proceeded to beat the " buck" to death.
They use them all the time in Southeast Alabama with very good results.

WV Hunter

Yep. They caught a guy that lives down the road from me shooting at a mechanical buck a couple years ago. There are plenty of road hunters around (total slime), so they set the deer up, and within 1 hour had someone shoot at it. I couldn' t believe it only took an hour. I hate a poacher. [:@]
I agree Rob, a black eye for sure to show that.