Chalk up another win for the roadside buck decoy. IDNR looks to stop roadside hunting and poaching, and this tool always seems to get the job done. Just ask this young boy (and his grandfather).
If you devote countless hours of work, sweat, and thought to your deer hunting, stories of illegal hunting and poaching irk you like nothing else in this world. Illinois Department of Resources officers are often on the lookout to stop these such things, and boy did they get this one quick.
According the the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Facebook page, CPO's Michael Goetten and Chris Gushleff are pictured with a new deer decoy donated by the United Bow Hunters of Illinois (UBI) to combat illegal road hunting.
In what had to be a new record time, this new, very realistic decoy buck was getting lead slung at in within five minutes of being put out.
That is a stat that is almost hard to fathom, but if you live in some places in Illinois, it is all too believable.
According to the story, a 13-year-old boy of Greene County, Illinois, pulled the trigger during the incident in November of 2016.
Before you go pointing fingers and name-calling, the boy was under the direction of his grandfather, as the decoy was shot at from a roadway. Unfortunately, the young man was being taught and brought up in an environment that might not portray the best ethical and moral ways to go about the sport. But hopefully this situation will open his eyes and be a great lesson.
The grandfather is being cited for scenario, as he should be, but the boy hopefully knows that this is no joking matter moving forward. When asked about the whole ordeal, the young boy claimed he had seen decoys of this type being used by game wardens on the television show North Woods Law. Although he had seen them on the show, he was blown away at the realistic look of the buck decoy.
And we agree, the decoy looks remarkable. Not sure on the legality of it, but as a passionate hunter, I could foresee this being an amazing tool for the deer woods.
Why buy a plastic decoy that resembles a deer when you can pretty much have the real deal with this?
Hopefully stories like this can cause poachers and road hunters to think twice before they attempt these acts and squeeze the trigger. The sport is too great, and the animals earn more respect than to go out by unlawful ways.
Watch out, road hunters; you might not be shooting at what you think!
Note: The post was originally published in November, 2016.
NEXT: THE SAVAGE ARMS FACTORY: A LOOK AT THE "MADE IN AMERICA" GUN MANUFACTURING PROCESS
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