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Decoys to be used to nab poachers |
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September 25, 2017 |
By Mike Demick
IDFG Conservation Information Supervisor
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reminds
hunters that in areas where the department
receives complaints or reports of suspicious
activity, officers may use "artificial simulated
animals" during hunting season to detect
wildlife law-breakers.
Commonly called ASAs, they are life-like
taxidermy replicas of deer, elk and other game
species that look like the real thing.
“Officers watch the animal and respond if
someone violates the law,” said Fish and Game
Chief of Enforcement Greg Wooten. “This tool is
extremely important in our effort to curtail
illegal activity that is otherwise
undetectable.”
The simulated animals are typically used
alongside roads in areas where there’s a history
of spotlighting, trespassing and road hunting.
“This is similar to other law enforcement
agencies watching an intersection based on
reports of frequent instances of failing to stop
at a stop sign, or monitoring speed compliance
using radar,” Wooten said.
The penalties for shooting an artificial animal
can include a mandatory hunting and fishing
license revocation, fines of up to $1,000 and a
possible jail sentence of up to six months.
There is also a $50 minimum restitution penalty
for shooting an ASA to help maintain the decoys.
Aside from the inherent danger of shooting from
a vehicle or road, road hunting can be a very
tempting activity for some. Deer become
accustomed to protected areas such as private
lands and residential areas where habitat is
good and disturbance is low. In these areas,
deer are visible and vulnerable. But hunters
need to remember that it’s illegal to shoot deer
on private land without permission, as is
shooting from the road and from a motorized
vehicle.
“We receive numerous complaints from landowners
each year of animals shot in these areas
unlawfully - at night, on private property, from
the road, and from the vehicle,” said Wooten.
While the vast majority of hunters conduct
themselves ethically and abide by the laws,
those who do not continue to create a negative
image for hunters. “These activities result in
more land getting posted and unavailable to all
citizens,” Wooten added. |
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