TEXARKANA — A decoy deer tempts illegal deer hunters in Southwest Arkansas.
Hidden nearby in the woods was Arkansas Game & Fish Commission wildlife Sgt. Mark Kennemore, waiting for a chance to catch an illegal hunter.
As the problem evolved of night hunters or hunters shooting from roads into the woods, the commission developed a way to use decoy animals to catch illegal hunters and make arrests.
The decoy is set up in the woods. Then the wildlife officer hides within remote range so the controls work to move the deer in a variety of positions.
The deer can move its head up or down or side to side, flick its tail, move its legs and stomp a foot. Officers can change the rack from large to small and put velvet on the horns.
“The remote control comes from remote-controlled airplane parts. The elevators for the airplane are used to make it fly. The elevators are inserted into the deer and the gears are used to make it move its head and legs,” Kennemore said.
“It’s fun to work. There is nothing like catching a night hunter. A night hunter is a road opportunist. He may not be actually hunting but he sees a deer, he takes the shot,” Kennemore said.
The first deer decoy was used in Little River County about 15 years ago and 16 hunters were arrested.
The next year, the number of hunters shooting at the decoy dropped.
But Kennemore said the arrests have started picking back up this year with eight arrests before gun season started.
The commission has the power to issue a fine and confiscate the illegal hunter’s guns and vehicle.
“Most of the hunters just fess up. It’s hard not to when you’re standing there with the rifle in your hands and the decoy has been shot. One man said he was shooting to make the deer run back into the woods. One man fired about five shots and then hung his head down. By that time, he knew it was fake and he was about to get arrested,” Kennemore said.