American Notes HUNTING

Its tail twitches and its head turns. It has antlers, a soft coat, innocent eyes -- and a heart of steel. Meet RoboDeer, the radio-controlled decoy buck. West Virginia's department of natural resources has sent the dummy deer into the bush just twice -- but that was enough to ensnare 11 illegal highway hunters. "We try to place it where an individual would be looking for a deer," says DNR Sergeant Kaven Ransom.

RoboDeer is the pet creation of Pete McCuskey, owner of Mountain Security Specialties, who watched hours of deer videos to learn and duplicate genuine buck motions. "We strove for the most natural movement," he boasts.

RoboDeer does have some defects. His head has blown a fuse or two, and his hide has been perforated by bullets. But while the DNR readily displays the deer, it insists on keeping one detail absolutely secret: the location of its motor. DNR's Ransom would say only, "It is in an area that typically would not be shot at."