Is that a deer on the side of the road?
No, actually; it’s a robot planted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and on Saturday morning a Florida man pulled over, got out of his car, and , prompting police officers to emerge from a nearby hiding spot and charge him with shooting deer during closed season, discharging a firearm from a roadway, and taking deer from a right-of-way.
“He crossed a ditch and walked up toward the fence carrying a rifle,” the report stated. “He placed the rifle on the fence to steady himself and shot at the replica,” hitting it in the neck.
The man , saying he knew that hunting season was closed and that shooting deer from a roadway is illegal, and was released Sunday after posting $1,120 in bonds. He will appear in court December 12, facing a year in jail and $2,500 in fines if convicted.
The FWC often installs fake deer where illegal deer-harvesting is suspected. The most severe charge a hunter can incur by shooting one is a third-degree felony for firing across a fence line, called trespassing by projectile and offering a maximum sentence of five years in prison plus $5,000 in fines.
“It does help,” said FWC Officer Jeffrey Babauta. “Once word gets out that there is a fake deer out there, it deters the bad hunting.”