Some deer hunters near Wickes, in Polk County, came across an unexpected find. The hunters were preparing their deerr stands for the coming season when they found a field of thousands of marijuana plants.
The hunters told authorities that two suspects fled into the nearby woods. They are still on the loose.
The Polk County sheriff called in the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Howard County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas Game and Fish to help. They are still assessing just what they have. The Polk County sheriff says they know for sure they have more than 4,000 marijuana plants, many approaching harvest.
The haul was enough to almost completely fill a large truck. They say they will likely be back at the scene Friday looking for clues to the identity of the illegal drug growers.
Sheriff Peebles says he and his men will be back at site Friday to collect more of the illegal crop and continue their search for the suspects. The darkness prevented them from getting all of the crops.
He says he has seen a lot of marijuana growing operations in his time, but this is the largest, most elaborate he has ever encountered.
Sheriff Peebles says he is almost positive this is an operation that was staffed by well supplied illegal aliens who were actually living with their crop and constantly caring for it. He says this type of operation has been found in other states but this may be first of its kind found in Arkansas.
Sheriff's deputies found complete campsites where the growers were apparently living for weeks, maybe even months. They also found elaborate irrigation systems and large supplies of fertilizer.
The site is located on a remote tree farm adjacent to the Cossattot River just east of Wickes.
