Vermont uses robotic deer to catch poachers

Vermont is deploying animatronic deer to catch  poachers.  Game wardens with the state's Fish & Wildlife Department posted on Facebook that they apprehended two Vermont men last month accused of poaching.

Andrew Fecteau, 23, and Thomas Chamberlin, 29, were arrested after they allegedly stopped their truck, and shot an arrow into a robot deer from the window.

Wardens stepped out of the bushes and ordered the men to stop and shut off the car.  But they say that Fecteau accelerated and hit one of the wardens.  He was not seriously hurt.

The other warden obtained the license plate of the vehicle as it sped away and they were arrseted later in the evening.

Lt. Justin Stedman, central district supervisor, says wardens processed more than 400 illegal deer kills last year.

The department has 20 or 25 whitetail deer robots across the state.

He says the bogus deer, which move around and cost around $1,400 to $2,000 each, are the state's most effective tool to combat poaching.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.