On a nature hike two weeks ago, I was totally grossed out when I glanced over the bridge railing over a small stream on a dirt road and saw five deer carcasses. Bloated and stinking, they spanned the pool created by the turbulence of water falling from the culvert under the road. The remains of three other deer and one hog were also in the ditches near this bridge. I had pointed out to the other nature lovers that horns had been removed from one skull with a hacksaw and small emerging tusks could be seen on the pig, but I didn’t call anyone over to look at the gruesome scene below the bridge. This sight is all too familiar.
I was born in Durham and grew up roaming widely in the area as a child. As an amateur naturalist, I lead hikes and explore with others seeking to connect with the natural world. I know that hunters and hunt-club members enjoy the out-of-doors as much as I do and probably send more money to preserve “nature†than I have. This “guts in the stream†thing is not new. It is a pattern of behavior that must be passed on from experienced hunter to the novice, from father to son. I didn’t have much hope that this misguided practice could be changed until I heard about hunt clubs up north arranging for dumpsters to be placed around counties in convenient spots so that carcasses could be placed in them and recovered for compost or animal feed. Apparently, some industries appreciate the raw (literally) materials for their products and help fund the dumpsters. This is a great solution to a long-standing problem of dumping deer carcasses in streams.
Even if the local hunters can’t organize the dumpsters, a better method for disposing of their waste is hilltop dumping. Vultures in this area are constantly patrolling the countryside for rotting meat. Within a day or two, turkey vultures will sniff it out and black vultures will follow soon after. Behind my home last week, I watched as two Red-tailed hawks drove the dozen or so vultures away from and carried off a fox carcass.
The critters out there are hungry and ready to help us clean up our mess if we are only ready to alter our patterns a little bit to ease the risk to them. Roadsides and bridge crossings are confusing and dangerous places to have a meal. So next time, carry the leftovers from your hunting trip into the woods a bit farther and go uphill. Even better, follow the higher standard of the dumpsters. But please, please stop fouling our shared waterways with rotting deer corpses. Let’s change for the better and end the misguided practice of carcass dumping in streams and rivers.
—Chris Carter
Saxapahaw