The Idaho Fish and Game Department is cracking down on an illegal hunting practice known as "jacklighting." Hunters pull over to the side of a road at night, get out of the car and shine a high powered spotlight on a hillside. Any dear or elk are frozen in place by the sudden glare. Then the hunters shoot.
Fish and Game says the practice is dangerous and unethical, so the department is taking further action to catch and prosecute perpetrators.
Conservation officers are using "artificial simulated animals" - or ASA's - to catch illegal hunters. ASA's are life-like figures of deer, elk or other animals, which come complete with moving parts.
Fish and Game chief of Enforcement Greg Wooten says officers set up the dummy animals often near roads, and wait.
Anyone found guilty of shooting an ASA will face a fine of up to $1,000 and could go to jail for six months. They will also lose their license and will be docked another 50 bucks to help maintain the decoys.
The Department says most states and several provinces in Canada have used artificial animals to catch violators since the late 1980's.
Follow reporter Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio
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