Troopers Used Phony Grouse In "Artificial Wildlife" Sting, Following National Trends
What's An "Artificial Wildlife Operation"? Phony Grouse Propped Up Beside The Road Near Willow By Alaska Wildlife Troopers To ...
What's An "Artificial Wildlife Operation"?
Phony Grouse Propped Up Beside The Road Near Willow By Alaska Wildlife Troopers To Try To Entice Illegal Hunters
A Common Practice In Lower 48
Every fall, Alaska's spruce grouse scour the sides of roads looking for gravel. The birds don't have teeth. They fill their gizzards with gravel, pebbles and grit, which take the place of teeth and grind up their food. When snow falls, roadside gravel is blanketed and inaccessible for months. So grouse spend a lot of time wandering around in the fall, picking up gravel beside the highways and driveways.
This is something everyone who lives in rural Alaska notices. Apparently so do Wildlife Troopers – and hunters.
With this in mind, Wildlife Troopers in the Willow area have been conducting a sting to catch illegal road hunters. An October 26th, 2024 Trooper report reveals that Troopers have been putting decoy grouse along the road. Then they've staked out the phony grouse to see if the pretend birds attract hunters. (The Trooper report does not describe or explain what an "artificial grouse" is, or how it is used as a game enforcement tool in Alaska.)
However, down in the Lower 48, luring hunters with "artificial wildlife" – while officers stake out the scene with binoculars from a hidden place – is a popular activity, and well-documented on various websites, including a number of engaging YouTube clips on Animal Planet.
Apparently the use of decoys down south to catch illegal hunters seems to target people looking for larger creatures than spruce grouse – such as deer, bears, coyotes and moose. ...Although turkeys and other smaller wildlife are also set out as lures, according to sources on the web.
Click to See: NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFICERS SHOWN IN DEER DECOY OPERATION
Wildlife Troopers Say "Artificial Grouse" Sting Leads To Citation
Location: Wasilla
Dispatch Text:
On 10/26/2024, Alaska Wildlife Troopers in the Mat Su Valley conducted an artificial wildlife operation north of Wasilla.
During the operation, Troopers observed Daryl Hansen, age 44 of Wasilla, shoot his shotgun at an artificial grouse while standing on the roadway. Hansen was cited for shooting from the roadway and hunting without a hunting license in possession. It is unlawful to shoot on, from, or across a roadway anywhere in the State of Alaska.
Posted on 10/26/2024 3:14:41 PM by DPS\sthumphreys
