Unfortunately, few of these heartless criminals are actually caught in the act, making it difficult for conservation officers to enforce anti-poaching laws. And with tens of millions of wild animals killed illegally each year, understaffed state and local agencies are stretched too thin to deal with the problem alone.

With its Robotic Decoy Program, the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust is helping to level the playing field by giving officers the opportunity to witness poaching activities firsthand -- and no animals are harmed in the process. Through this program, HSWLT donates realistic decoys of deer, bears, pronghorns, and other wildlife to agencies tasked with confronting poachers. Decoys are placed in a vulnerable setting (like an open field), and nearby officials manipulate them with remote controls so that they move just like living animals. If a passing poacher shoots at a decoy, officials have solid evidence to support the poacher’s prosecution.

The program, now cosponsored by The HSUS’s Wildlife Abuse Campaign, was featured in All Animals, an HSUS publication, and in National Geographic Online.

If you are a Game and Fish Department employee, or work for another agency that has prosecution authority, and would like more information about the program, please contact us.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we have provided sixteen decoys to thirteen agencies in twelve states, with more to come. These donations have facilitated cooperative arrangements with law enforcement agencies -- and, we’re proud to say, have resulted in the arrests of several poachers. Many other conservation officers nationwide have expressed interest in receiving decoys in the future, and HSWLT is eager to meet their needs.

In the last several months, conservation officers nationwide have expressed great interest in receiving decoys through the HSWLT’s Robotic Decoy Program. HSWLT is eager to expand the number and locations of decoy donations.  You can support the HSWLT Robotic Decoy Program by donating here.