Oh, Deer: Fake Game Traps Illegal Hunters Near Bend

PORTLAND - "Scruff" did his job too well.

Oregon State Police game officers were skeptical when they began using the phony deer to trap illegal hunters. They didn't think it was realistic enough.

But the fact the bogus Bambi has been pulled from service for repair of bullet and arrow holes proves the officers were dead wrong.

Scruff had more than 70 bullet holes and had been pierced with arrows about 30 times before state police in the Bend area pulled the phony deer from service.

Before his leave of absence, Scruff helped police arrest 30 people on charges of shooting from their cars.

Statewide, police say decoys under the Wildlife Enforcement Decoy program have helped put the cuffs on about 40 more hunters.

If new fur and plastic foam plugs can't make it whole again, Scruff may require some drastic surgery.

"We may have to cut his legs and antlers off and make him a doe lying down," joked Lt. Darren Parker from the state police game-bureau office. "He's been hit pretty hard."

Scruff started his crime-stopping career as a road-killed doe. Along with nine other deer around the state, he was stuffed, mounted and given antlers. The deer then was set up along roadways where residents had complained about hunters shooting from trucks, or at night with spotlights.

Parker and other officers said they were surprised how excited deer hunters become when they spot the lifelike target.

"Some actually shoot a complete clip into a standing deer and then reload," Parker said.

Parker said he was carrying Scruff back to his car recently when a truckload of bow-hunters spotted the antlers, jammed on their brakes and jumped from their truck, bows at the ready.

"Even though we had three state-patrol cars parked nearby, it didn't faze them," Parker said.