SYCAMORE – State and DeKalb County authorities this week said they’re aware of multiple instances of coyote carcasses that have been found in the Kishwaukee River in Sycamore.

Three dead coyotes could be seen Tuesday below a bridge on Brickville Road that traverses the south branch of the Kishwaukee River in Sycamore.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan said his office reported the carcasses to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on Feb. 11.

Phillip Wire, a sergeant with the Illinois Conservation Police, said fur-trade economics could be a factor.

“Right now, the pelt, the fur prices are the lowest they’ve been,” Wire said. “It used to be coyote pelts were worth a lot of money, and as of right now, they’re not. So it’s more of a hassle than anything. So a lot of individuals this last year have decided to just toss them off of bridges is what we’ve found.”

In December, seven coyote carcasses were found and pulled from the south branch of the Kishwaukee River in Sycamore near Motel Road, Wire said.

Regarding the three carcasses found in Sycamore in February, Wire said conservation police officers will come out and inspect the scene in Sycamore to determine the cause of death for the animals before they are removed.

The coyote remains could be seen directly under the walking path on the east side of the Brickville Road bridge, on an island close to the river’s water level. The animal bodies do not show visible wounds.

The seven dead coyotes found in the Kishwaukee River at the end of 2023 had been shot, Wire said.

“We’ll have somebody check it out and see if there’s bullet holes or if they are trapped or what. But more than likely, being that close to a bridge, they were either trapped or shot and dumped off the bridge,” Wire said.

Sullivan said the legality of shooting a coyote isn’t in question, but the method of disposal is. Animal carcasses cannot be disposed of fewer than 200 feet from a potable water source, according to the Illinois Animal Mortality Act.

“As far as I know, the shooting of coyotes would be legal, but dumping them like that is not right by any means,” Sullivan said.

Individuals who believe an animal is being poached or improperly disposed of can call 877-236-7529 to anonymously report their findings with Target Illinois Poachers, a hotline created by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement.

Wire said dumping dead animals into rivers can create unsanitary conditions for recreational use of the waterways.

“We’re getting into the warmer season – we had 70 degrees the other day – so you’re going to have individuals that are kayaking the river, and the last thing you want is coyote carcasses and decaying coyote carcasses in the river that you’re kayaking,” Wire said.