LEBANON, Ohio -- You can't just go around cutting the heads off all the dead deer you find.
Some disturbing sights have been popping up on Tri-State highways this fall, due to the illegal harvesting of deer antlers along the side of roads. The lengths some people will go to is shocking, but there is a legal way to do it, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"People kind of have an obsession with deer antlers, so therefore they're cutting heads off or cutting the antlers off," state wildlife officer Jason Keller said. "All of that is illegal, unless they do have a piece of paper that says that they legally acquired them.
For anyone who strikes a deer, it's important to call the police to report the damage to the insurance company. They also need to call the Department of Natural Resources if they want to keep the remains.
"You cannot just cut the deer's head off," Keller said. "And it also represents sportsmen in kind of a poor light. Typically, it's not your sportsmen that are out doing this and it just doesn't represent outdoorsmen in the greatest light."
These crimes are difficult to solve, unless somebody drives by and witnesses illegal harvesting of deer parts. Officials asked that anyone who does witness it, get the license plate and call police.
