Another Environmental Hazard: Dead Deer

I was watching the local news in southern Illinois while visiting my family for Thanksgiving and had a laugh at the way they closed the Sportscast. It ended with a slideshow of photos submitted by local hunters. Most of them featured a man wearing a blaze orange sock hat, a bow nearby and a dead deer splayed for the world to see.

Ahhh, yes, southern Illinois, where some schools close for the first day of hunting season and where my high school actually had a “drive your tractor to school day.” But my friend Javier (also from Illinois, but now resides in Raleigh) recently reminded me that hunting also happens around here. He and his buddies have rented land somewhere outside the Triangle for the sole purpose of hunting deer.

This morning, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reminded local media of the importance of properly disposing of deer and other game carcasses. In a news release, the state’s hunting safety coordinator, Capt. Chris Huebner, explains that there have been recent reports of illegally dumped deer carcasses. Apparently, that’s just one more thing that can harm the environment:

“Remnants on the side of the highway may not be cleared by a road crew. The carcass left on the ground won’t decompose or be eaten by scavengers right away, and it certainly won’t float downstream. The impact on the environment and the negative effect on public perception of hunters and hunting are long-lasting,” Huebner says.

In case you’re wondering, the proper way to toss out a lifeless deer’s body is to bury it at least two feet deep or take it to a special disposal spot, such as a specified spot at a local landfill.