If you live in or around Columbia County, Wisconsin, you might have noticed a few more deer carcasses scattered along local roadways.
The recent abundance of deceased deer is nothing new to Wisconsin drivers, but leaving rotting carcasses in plain view is something Columbia County and its 21 towns is not sure how to handle. This comes after the state of Wisconsin halted spending to dispose of dead deer on roadways that are not state or federal highways.
Meaning county roads and town roads are on their own when it comes to dead deer.
There was a time when a resident, or anyone for that matter, could report a dead deer to the Highway Department who would then contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who contracts with a company to get rid of the bodies.
Currently speaking, crews from the Columbia County Highway Department will only remove a dead deer if it is in a place where its decay could cause a health or odor problem for nearby residents.
Estimated costs for to contract a company to handle the dead deer in Columbia County would be a little over $3100 annually or only about $30 per town according to Columbia County Highway Commissioner Chris Hardy.
Until the county enacts such a contract, the residents are on their own, many of whom have already resorted to removing the carcasses themselves using farm equipment.
Perhaps they should send a bill.
