Fish and Wildlife Using Mechanical Deer with Real Pelts to Catch Poachers

The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department is using mechanical deer covered with real animal skin to catch poachers and licensed hunters who stay out beyond legal hours.

Q13 Fox reports that the mechanical deer are placed along roadsides, including “forest roads,” where they wag their tails and “wait for poachers.” In addition to making various movements, the mechanical deer are designed so that their eyes glow in headlights, just like real animals.

Fish and Wildlife officials said some rogue hunters will use their headlights to blind deer after hunting hours, then shoot them. The mechanical deer provides the perfect method for catching such individuals:

Washington Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Shawnn Vincent said those who shoot at the deer “know something is up after they shoot” because the deer keep standing, and their tails keep wagging.

Fish and Wildlife uses similar “decoys” to catch bear, elk, grouse, and other animal poachers.

Vincent observed, “Poaching and people going out and taking these illegally, it’s taking away from the youth, the kids, everyone else. This is just one way of combating that.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.