40 duck carcasses dumped by road in Stoddard County

DEXTER, Mo. -- Authorities are trying to find out who discarded 40 duck carcasses on the side of County Road 717 on the east end of the Cottonbelt area of Dexter.

The birds, all contained inside two large trash bags, were found around 3 p.m. Thursday by a passer-by who called the authorities.

The 40 birds, some freshly killed, consisted of coots, ringnecks, gadwalls and shovelers; and all were gunshot. None was cleaned for harvest. Instead, they were packed into the trash bags and evidently thrown from a vehicle to land in full view on the side of the blacktop county road.

Area conservation agent Mark Reed called the incident "isolated" and said, "Besides being illegal, the whole incident is unethical; and it is highly offensive.

"The people who did this are not hunters. This is not anything that a true sportsman would condone."

The incident is under investigation, Reed said, and he asked that anyone with information concerning the dumping of the ducks contact either Reed at 573-568-4433 or the Operation Game Thief hot line at 1-800-392-1111.

The hot line, Reed said, is manned 24 hours a day. Callers may remain anonymous but may ask to be considered for reward money if they wish. Those who provide information resulting in an arrest and wish to be considered for a reward may be eligible rewards ranging from $50 to $1,000, depending on the severity of the crime.