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County battles illegal dumping issues
Published 8:48am Friday, January 13, 2012There are reports coming in from all over the county. Dead deer are being found by the sides of roads, and they aren’t the victims of automobiles.
Some are beheaded. Some have sections of “desirable” meat missing. All are discarded – illegally – by hunters.
“Last year was the worst we’d seen,” said Attrice Elder, construction supervisor for the Pike County Road Department. “But we aren’t even in the height of hunting season, so we will continue to get calls.”
Elder said the areas where callers have reported discarded deer recently have been Banks, and the Pronto and Pocosin areas. Earlier this week, one deer was even tossed inside the Troy city limits along U.S. Highway 231.
“Normally it is scattered,” Elder said, adding that last years worst offenses were seen near Burnout Bridge.
“We usually find the animals near bridges and waterways because it is easier to hide them,” Elder said. “But that’s the worst place to put them, environmentally and health wise.”
Some days the road department has to deal with one discarded carcass. Other days, there are piles of dead animals. Scavenger birds are often nearby.
Elder said the illegal dumping is frustrating because it adds to the county’s already-hefty work load. It also means more funds needed from tax payers, in some cases, he said.
“We’re encouraging people to take the carcasses to the (McClelland’s Critters) zoo,” Elder said. “Hopefully hunters will work with us on that. The zoo can use the deer for their animals and the carcasses won’t be dumped illegally.”
Elder said he can’t point the finger at out-of-state hunters because no one has been caught or prosecuted. However, if anyone has information on illegal dumping activities, they should call the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
Whoever the illegal dumpers are, Elder said he didn’t believe they were “true hunters” because in many cases they only removed “trophy” and prime pieces of meat from the deer.
“The rest of it they don’t really care about it,” Elder said. “Those aren’t true hunters to me.”
A friend of mine was riding over the weekend on County Road 6651 there are parts of deer like legs laying next to the road, whole deer with the loin missing, even a little dog with the collar on and a rope around his neck starved (dead) he rode through there again today and more dead deer and what looks to be a big coyote is thrown out. I really wish they would do something this is a mess.They say that they can’t because it has to be an eye witness and tag number. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE THAT DO THIS? The little dog has a collar on can you not get finger prints from that. WHERE IS THE PIKE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY? They only ask for money, they don’t do crap. Pike County is a BS county with no morals. WHERE ARE YOUR HEARTS? DO YOU HAVE ONE?
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