A wildlife resource in Kentucky was able to successfully catch a poacher using a robotic deer. With illegal hunting becoming a big problem for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (DFW), officers used available technology to bring a poacher named James Malone out in the open and catch him red-handed.

The authorities baited him with a robotic deer and they caught him shining his spotlight on the deer from his SUV. It has long been a policy of DFW not to shine a spotlight on animals as this can effectively blind them. When this happens, it makes it very easy for poachers to kill them.

Hunters are not allowed to cast artificial light or any other kind of spotlight "into any field, pasture, woodlands or forest, whether public or private, where wildlife or domestic livestock may reasonably be expected to be located."

KIRO 7 reported that the officials believe that Malone has previously killed a deer without reporting it and that he would hunt without a license. The arrest report on Malone also stated that the authorities found methamphetamine when they searched the car of the 29-year-old.

Subsequently, he was charged with spotlighting. Along with it, he was also charged with possession of the controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. For pursuing a deer, he was charged with illegal pursuing of a deer or a wild turkey. Other charges against him include trapping or hunting without a license.

After the arrest, Malone was held in Taylor County Detention Center. This was based on the online booking records. No bail was set yet for Malone.

Missouri held its first elk-hunting season, which consisted of two portions, the firearms portion, and the archery portion. The participants were all successful in the firearms session but none produced a harvest in the archery portion. The firearms part was just recently concluded while the archery portion was done in late October.

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Robotic deer helped in capturing poacher. Photo: Pixabay