The carcass of a dead black bear was discarded on the side of Highway 48 on Lookout Mountain.  Someone had killed the bear, skinned it and taken the bear’s head.  WZQZ News notified Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader on Thursday morning about the carcass that was seen on the side of the road on Wednesday evening by passing motorists.  The bear carcass was beginning to smell and is covered in flies and maggots.  Sheriff Schrader told WZQZ News that he would notify the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.  According to the sheriff, as of Thursday afternoon, a DNR Ranger had been notified and was going to investigate.  It is legal to take bears in season in Georgia, but it is a crime to kill a bear outside of season.  It is likely that the bear was killed somewhere on Lookout Mountain and the carcass was discarded on the side of the road.  WZQZ News will have more information as it becomes available.