It is a difficult thing to patrol. About all they can do is set up the dummy deer and wait. These guys have a huge area to cover so catching someone in the act would be hard. They can also check freezers if they have a reason too. If they shot 16 they may not even be cleaning them.
The one experience I have had with poachers, the guy got off in court claiming he need it for the meat. He was living on wellfare and probably did need the meat but he could have easily shot the deer following the rules too ( it was deer season) I was hunting a couple of hundred yards form the road and this little deer was between me and him on a wheat field. 13 shots later he had himself a deer, meanwhile I had gotten behind a tree, a small tree at that and fired off my muzzle loader in hopes he would realize I was back there.( it was rifle season by the way but only had a bow and a muzzle loader at the time, I was 16 or 17 at the time). I turned him in because he was shooting in my direction and from where he was shooting he could see my truck so knew someone was in there and his son was shooting from the rear of the truck as well( I did not want him growing up thinking that was ok). One shot took out a lower back leg and another the hind quarters at least one gut shot and finally one to the front shoulder that got a lung. There was not much meat left on the little guy. I confronted the guy about it and he ask what I was shooting at, he did not even care that he was shooting in my direction so I pointed out to him it was a warning shot of sorts to let you know I was back there. I actually quit hunting during rifle season for a few years after that until I had some other places to hunt where road hunting was not so common and my fears went down.
Now that I am older, I would have handled things a little differently. I realize now that I was stupid for confronting the guy and would have been better off turning him in anonymously. But what I wish I had done was shot the deer for them, it would have saved at least 9 or 10 bullets headed my way and I could have told the boy that is the proper and ethical way to take a deer.
This has turned into a long winded post but to finish up the story, the landowner(my uncle) leased the place to some out of state guys and they convinced the game warden to put up the dummy deer out there and they busted the same guy and some other members of his family ( don't remember the exact relation) but they all where well know road hunters. All but one got off free claiming they needed the meat ( he was the only one with a job and not on wellfare).
