TIFTON — Pecan harvesting season has started and already several reports of illegal harvesting have been reported to the Tift County Sheriff’s Office.

Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough wants the public to be aware that any person found to be stealing pecans can be cited for a misdemeanor during the harvesting season which began October 1 and ends on December 31.

Georgia law is very clear about pecan ownership, according to a release from the TCSO.

The code states that “it shall be unlawful for any person, without the permission of the owner of pecan trees grown on private property, to pick or otherwise remove any pecans from the limbs or branches of the trees or to cause pecans to fall from the trees.”

The law further states that “when pecan trees are grown on private property and the branches of the trees extend over public roads, streets or highway rights of way, any pecans falling from any such pecan trees onto the public rights of way shall be the property of the owner of the pecan trees until the end of the harvesting season; and it shall be unlawful for any person to remove the pecans from any public rights of way during the harvesting season without the permission of the owner of the trees.”

After harvesting season ends, any pecans left on public right of ways are considered abandoned by the owner and are fair game.