Robotic Deer to Fight Illegal Hunting 325
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."
Re:Business model (Score:3, Insightful)
More importantly, they are away and are not carrying a high power loaded weapon.
Re:But what about (Score:5, Insightful)
But to answer your question "why would you even bother?". Well, as a deer-hunter in an area where these 'robots' have been in use for years already, it is often a matter of hunter's safety. The DNR/Conservation Officer will put a decoy in a position where it will be shot at from the road. It is illegal to hunt within 50 yards of a public road's median. Quite a hefty fine. Also, if a hunter is willing to break that regulation, who knows what other rules they are breaking.
Re:But what about (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree, but hide is not hair.
I think you'd be surprised at how bold some poachers are, especially in sparsely populated areas.
My cousin was killed in his own suburban backyard by deer poachers.
KFG
Re:Just like a real deer. (Score:4, Insightful)
A large portion of the problem is just lack of natural predators.
police as revenue collectors (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Just like a real deer. (Score:5, Insightful)
and now we're creating a device to reduce the number of the deer's last remaining predator.
Not if they follow the rules. This device does nothing to reduce legal hunting of deer. There's various reasons to regulate hunting, ranging from game management (you can only take so many animals and most of them have to be male) to safety (can't discharge your firearm within X yards of a structure). All this device does is provide a decoy for the violators to shoot at.
Living in Upstate NY and dealing with morons from the city that shoot at anything that moves (hint: diary cows don't look anything like deer yet they are routinely shot...) I think this is a wonderful idea.
But Deer need to be culled (Score:3, Insightful)
They should be paying them, not fining them. There's way too many deer in the US and not enough predators to keep them in check. Most get killed by vehicle collisions anyway. Deer hunting should be encouraged.
Re:Useless in other coutries (Score:5, Insightful)
You seem to miss the entire point. This isn't about hunters, it's about poachers. Poachers are people who illegally kill animals, either in the wrong place, at the wrong time of year, the wrong sex, or without having paid their license fee to do so. A hunter doesn't just drive along and suddenly decide "Oh, I think today I shall break the law, since there is a deer standing right over there." The only people shooting at these robodeer, are the people who aren't following the laws. I am having a hard time understanding why so many people in this thread are seeming to confuse hunting with poaching, this isn't a subtle distinction. Hunters follow laws and manage the deer population in the proportions determined by people who know what, where, and how many deer should be removed from the population. Poachers, don't give a shit about the laws or management, they just want free meat without paying their fair share, and without regard for the laws.
If you get the impression that hunters get annoyed at being associated with poachers, then you're perceptive. Two different groups of people.
Re:OFFICER!! I KNEW it wasnt real!! (Score:3, Insightful)
Destruction of Government Property. Its a felony too, so you just lost your right to vote, pal.
Re:But Deer need to be culled (Score:2, Insightful)
Deer hunting is encouraged, deer poaching is not. There is a difference.
Re:police as revenue collectors (Score:2, Insightful)
Most regulations governing hunting around roadways are intended to protect people. Just drive out a ways from most cities and take a look at how far back houes/farms can often be fromt the road. These decoys are generally planted where you can see them from the road and they're intended to catch people who stop their vehicle, grab their gun and discharge it in unsafe ways.
It's a quirk of the legal system that it's called poaching because they're attempting to kill and animal in a situation where they have no right to, but really it's responding to the fact that in many areas, shooting from the road can easily mean that you're shooting right at someone's home, or at another road etc... Generally people aren't allowed to hunt anywhere they please and these robo-deer are aimed at stopping people who endanger others through their own stupidity/greed.
The test (Score:3, Insightful)