This piebald deer was illegally shot by a man on M Highway, who was arrested soon after / NPS

Ozark National Scenic Riverways law enforcement rangers have made two poaching arrests for road-hunting in recent weeks. Though hunting and trapping are legal at ONSR, hunting from a vehicle on a public roadway is very much not, and in Missouri, where ONSR is, it's a felony. Typically, the incidents occur when a hunter sees an animal from the road while driving and pulls over to shoot it. 

According to the National Park Service, "shooting from the road is often done hastily, resulting in hunters not paying attention to their surroundings or backstop. This can lead to car accidents or worse: stray bullets could land in yards, campgrounds, or homes and RVs. Because of dangers like this, road hunting is taken very seriously by state and federal agencies."

The first instance happened on the M Highway, outside of Van Buren, Missouri. A man riding as a passenger asked the driver to stop the car when he saw a white deer race across a field. The deer was a piebald, a very rare genetic anamoly that causes a deer to grow pure white fur. Unable to resist, the man poached the deer from the roadway and was spotted by a witness who called the authorities. The poacher was arrested shortly after. 

The other poacher was arrested in a sting operation designed to tempt would-be road hunters. 

ONSR rangers put a decoy made of an animatronic skeleton with real deer hide along the KK Highway. A car soon pulled to the side of the road, stopped and a man emerged who shot the decoy. Rangers moved in right away to arrest the hunter. 

According to an ONSR statement, "[using a decoy] allows hard evidence to be gathered in a more safe, controlled manner. These practices are conducted in accordance with the state’s wildlife code."

ONSR also said, "there is zero tolerance for road hunting, illegal use of dogs, damage to private property, or any other offense. If you wish to report a suspected violation, please contact NPS Arrowhead Dispatch at (844) 460-3604 or Operation Game Thief at (800) 392-1111."