Poaching deer at night is typically done in a vehicle with a strong handheld spotlight. Deer will temporarily standstill when shined with a bright light. Once the deer is dazzled by the spotlight, they will approach your vehicle. They seem to gravitate toward the light for some reason. This allows the poacher an easy shot. To avoid attracting attention poachers will use a bow and arrow, a crossbow, or a small-caliber rifle to kill the deer.