It might look and act like a live deer, but it's not. It's a robotic taxidermy decoy and it's goal is to stop poachers.
Brian Wolslegel started his business, Custom Robotic Wildlife, out of Mosinee over 20 years ago after a police officer asked him to make a decoy to help catch poachers.
"Poachers, if it's not moving then they're going to not shoot," Wolslegel explained. "The more movement, the more lifelike we can make it, the more luring it is."
He doesn't just make deer. From turkey to moose, the decoys are shipped across the U.S. and Canada. He also sells them to hunters to use during regular hunts.
"I think any ethical hunter would approve of what we do," he said.
With each new project, the decoys get more advanced. Sometimes, in an unexpected way.
"We had an officer, a federal officer, that asked if we could make one that could lift its tail and poop," Wolslegel said with a laugh. "So we're working on that right now. My kids love it because I go and buy big bags of M&Ms and they get to eat all of the colors except for the brown ones."
It's a unique career choice for someone who once studied to become a firefighter and EMT. But when you find your passion, you just have to follow it.
"I think that's the key to life," said Wolslegel. "If you go to work and enjoy doing what you're doing, it's going to be a great job."
To learn more about Custom Robotic Wildlife, visit the website here.
