Nearly two dozen dead turkeys were found dumped in a Rutherford County creek last week, a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency official said.
The slaughtered birds were found with breasts removed, which is a common practice, said TWRA spokesman Barry Cross.
But last week's dumping incident could turn out to be an illegal act.
"Hunters usually breast out a turkey and discard the carcass in the trash can at home. You can discard a carcass on the private land where you harvested the animal or land that you have permission to discard the carcass," Cross explained. "It is illegal to do this in a public area."