In Michigan, law-breaking turkey hunters have met their match. The DNR now uses a robotic turkey to catch the hunters in their tracks.
The National Wild Turkey Federation helps promote the proper management of wild turkeys. Thanks to their efforts, the Wild Turkey population has soared from 1.3 million in 1973 to an estimated 5.6 million today.
Wild Turkey photo by Lisa Shea
The NWTF has donated a robotic turkey to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in order for them to help catch turkey hunters that use illegal practices. The robo-turkey is an exact replica of a Eastern Wild Turkey, and even boasts remote-controlled body movements and tail fanning. I spoke with Sergeant Greg Drogowski of the DNR about this Robo-Turkey. Apparently it is an actual mount of a wild turkey - with the skin and feathers over a foam interior. The NWTF then put in parts from a remote-controlled airplane to move the head and tail.
Sergeant Drogowski pointed out that "wild turkeys are almost always moving" so previous attempts with stationary decoys did not work. The hunters simply were not fooled.
With Robo-Turkey, officers can control the turkey from a distance away, fooling the hunters into thinking it is a real bird. So far they've only used the turkey a couple of times, and haven't had anyone shoot at it. Not with a gun anyway - several people have pulled out cameras to get a shot of the mysterious robo-bird. A few have tried turkey calls on it to lure it closer to the car, but when they realized it was fake they drove on.
Sgt. Drogowski explained that Robo-Turkey is meant to handle two main problems - hunting from moving motor vehicles and shooting on private property. The turkey is deployed in areas that have received complaints, to try to catch the culprits red-handed. The Sergeant didn't mind that nobody had shot at the decoy yet. As he commented - "The fact that the decoy is out there somewhere will make hunters think twice" about illegal actions. "They'll hesitate, and the turkey will get away."
While Robo-Turkey is not bulletproof, he does come with an extra head, just in case!
Michigan DNR Website
National Wild Turkey Federation Website
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Wild Turkey Information
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The Turkey, Thanksgiving and Pilgrims
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