VALDOSTA — With deer hunting season in full swing, the Department of Natural Resources wants to remind hunters that the side of the road is not the place to dump a carcass.

Per 16 Code of Georgia, dumping and/or littering is defined as throwing, discarding, placing, depositing, discharging, burning, or disposing of a substance or material.

Litter is defined as any discarded refuse, rubbish, junk or other waste material and includes dead animals.

Lowndes County Ranger Keith McDonald said the code has been in place for a while, but during the hunting season a reminder to properly dispose of dead animals is needed.

“We get a lot of complaints this time of year about people dumping deer carcasses on the side of the road,” McDonald said.

Complaints can be hard for DNR and other law enforcement to follow up on unless a person gets a vehicle description or tag number, he said.

“If somebody gets the tag number, that is the best thing,” McDonald said. “They don’t need to confront the individual because a confrontation can cause problems. Let a law enforcement agency take care of it.”

Dumping/littering not exceeding 500 pounds is an offense of a high and aggravated nature and punishable with fines up to $1,000 and one year imprisonment.

If the dumping/littering is in excess of 500 pounds, a person could be prosecuted as a felony and is punishable with fines up to $25,000 and five years imprisonment.

The violator’s vehicle will also be impounded when that person is arrested.

As part of sentencing, once convicted, the violator will be ordered by the court of jurisdiction to clean up all litter for a distance of one mile in both directions of the illegal dump/litter site and the court shall publish the violator in the local newspaper.

If a person hits an animal on the road, they need to contact Lowndes County Public Works at 671-2700 to remove the obstruction, McDonald said.

“I know that people have to do something with the remains after killing and processing. Taking it to the back side of a field would be perfect,” McDonald said.

“Taking it out and leaving it on the side of the road or in a creek is not okay. Take it away from the road, away from people’s houses and let the buzzards and coyotes do what they need to do.”