Robotic Deer to Fight Illegal Hunting

Roland Piquepaille writes "If you were a law enforcement official searching for hunters who don't follow the rules, what would be a good gift for you? In 'Robot Deer Captures Poachers,' Brian Bull, reporting from Mosinee, Wisconsin, writes that you can buy robotic decoys for deer, elks, moose and even bears. These life-like creatures are made of animal hides or skins attached to polyurethane foam bodies and equipped with remotely controlled motors allowing the head and tail to move. After you pay about $2,000 for such a robo-deer, you put it on a side road. All you have to do is wait for an illegal hunter trying to shoot the fake deer and fine him. Many officers have reported collecting well over $30,000 in fines with a single robot. Not a bad deal."

Business model

[mtenhagen]

Now that is a good business model!

But I prefer parking fines since it requires a lower investment and less skilled personnel.

Just like a real deer.

[CrazyJim1]

After you pay about $2,000 for such a robo-deer, you put it on a side road

Then you watch as it gets hit by a car.

In related news, the forthcoming RoboDeer v2.0 ...

[D4C5CE]

...developped in a joint research project by PETA and the DoD, will feature an autonomous targetting and self-defense system that fires back at persistent poachers to hand out harsher punishments than just fines. ;-)

Re:Just like a real deer.

[Dr. Cody]

Fantastic: We killed the wolf, we killed the coyote, and now we're creating a device to reduce the number of the deer's last remaining predator.

Now, if we could only make a robo-whitetail-suicide bomber.

Re:Useless in other coutries

[dfenstrate]

It's called entrapment, and it's illegal here in the united states, or at least is a valid defense against a 'guilty' verdict.

Like you said, goading or pushing someone into committing a crime they would otherwise not is unlawful.

What is perfectly lawful is presenting them with an opportunity to commit a crime, and then punishing them for it. There is a significant difference.

Further, 'knowing' that a deer was fake would not permit you to shoot it, as you're still discharging your firearm near/on a road.

You could maybe get away with attacking it if you got out of your vehicle and bum rushed it.

Obligatory Dr. Evil quote

[orzetto]

All I asked for was sharks with frikin' laser beams attached to their heads! Deers? Oh, that's a start.

Cool

[Anonymous Coward]

but does it run linux?

Re:Useless in other coutries

[Charcharodon]

They also use the fake deer to fine people that hunt from cars. It was funny one story my uncle told me, he's was a warden and they've been using fake deer for decades to fine rule breakers.

They had the fake deer out on the edge of the trees near the road, it didn't have all the motion stuff just a stuffed dear. An old guy in a pick-up truck saw it, pulled over, put on his hunting vest(orange safety) got out of the truck, got his rifle, moved the minimum distance from the road and vehicle, and proceeded to take a bead on it. He shot it and was surprised that it didn't fall down or run away, before he could take a second shot all the rangers busted out laughing and then he realized what was up.

They didn't fine the old man because he did everything he was supposed and had a license to hunt the deer, they just wanted to see if he could figure out whether or not he'd fall for a completely still fake deer (This was some 30 years ago.).

Poachers are in the clear...

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

... so long as they yell "it's coming right for us! [wikipedia.org]" before shooting.

Re:But what about

[Anonymous Coward]

Selling lattés is almost all profit as well, but with the bonus that you don't have to kill anything.

But then you have to deal with the wankers who drink lattes. It's just not worth it.

Best of all

[rbanffy]

If these robo-deer prove as profitable as the OP said, they will hardly become extinct.

I for one welcome our new robotic-deer overlords.

Re:Just like a real deer.

[GNious]

Odd, I thought it was humans that were way overpopulated, and the deers being forced to live in too small a place?

robohookers

[Kildjean]

the next thing they will do is making robo-hookers and robo-drugdealers...

Will nobody think of the tourists?

[badzilla]

I'm a Brit and don't know a deer from an elk from a moose - some of them have horns some of the time don't they? I've rarely been able to get close to large animals for photos in North America but imagine the embarrassment if I saw one of these and was snapping away like hell when the cops came.

Re:Just like a real deer.

[bohemian72]

(hint: diary cows don't look anything like deer yet they are routinely shot...)

That's because they have no privacy and those poacher predators found their info on MySpace.

Re:Useless in other coutries

[Popsmear]

I tried this same defense. Someone put a 7-Year old girl on the side of the road. I stopped, picked her up, drove across state lines, and raped her. They tried to tell me I was responsible. Hah. I let them know it was entrapment. I was provoked into committing that crime.

Made with real deer skin and fur

[dtfinch]

They kill a deer to build a robotic deer to catch people killing deer.

Re:Useless in other coutries

[Jeremi]

A hounter could argue that he was provoqued and the fine would be probabely dropped.

What, because the mere sight of a deer drives people into such a state of lustful desire that they can't control themselves?

"Yer honor, the deer was asking for it! His lips said no, but his antlers were saying yes, yes, yes!"

Re:But what about

[Walt Dismal]

Based upon your recommendations I wish to place an order for 50 Tonnes of weasel fur.

How quickly can fill this order?

As soon as we can shoot and skin many members of Congress.