40 duck carcasses dumped on roadside in Stoddard County

DEXTER, Mo. -- Authorities are trying to find out who discarded 40 ducks 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 passerby who called in the finding to authorities.

The 40 birds, some freshly killed, consisted of coots, ringnecks, gadwalls and shovelers; and all were gunshot. None were 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 calls the incident "isolated," and says, "Besides being illegal, the whole incident is unethical; and it is highly offensive.

"The bad thing about this is that for some, it makes hunters look bad, but the people who did this are not hunters. This is not anything that a true sportsman would condone."

The incident is under investigation, Reed says, and he asks that anyone having information concerning the dumping of the ducks please contact either Reed at 573-568-4433 or the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-392-1111.

The hotline, Reed explains, 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 that results in an arrest and wish to be considered for a reward may be eligible for reward money that ranges from $50 to $1000. The amount is awarded in accordance with the severity of the crime committed.