Granville County sheriff's deputies busted a cockfighting operation on a property off Lawrence Road Saturday afternoon.
After days of tips, an undercover deputy paid his way into the fight and captured video to secure a warrant.
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In a wooded area, deputies found arena set up for the fights and dozens of people. Some of them ran into the woods as deputies arrested others.
Neighbors told WRAL News they’re uneasy that it was so close and they had no idea.
"People said there may be some sketchy things going on there, so you never know out here what it could be," Charles Reaves said.
In addition to the cockfighting operation, deputies found buckets containing dead chickens, along with guns, alcohol and drugs. They also removed approximately 50 vehicles from the property.
"A couple days ago we started getting some intelligence from confidential sources that there may be a cockfighting ring in the southern part of Granville County," Sheriff Robert Fountain said.
He said organizers were charging $50 to get in.
"We went on to the property, that’s when everyone kind of realized what was going on. We started chasing individuals. They started running, abandoning their vehicles, abandoning the property, leaving all the birds there," Sheriff Robert Fountain said.
People from several states were at the scene placing bets on different fights, when the raid took place.
Fountain said people taped razor blades to the birds' legs and made them fight each other, sometimes injecting them with adrenaline and throwing them back into the battle when they were near death.
Almost 200 roosters were removed from the property. The animals were being cared for at Granville County Animal Shelter.
"We’ve never ... seen anything of this magnitude. To see razor blades taped to the birds legs and having them fight each other, it was really inhumane," Fountain said.
The investigation is still ongoing, with deputies continuing to search the property.
The sheriff's office was using drones and heat mapping over the woods throughout the night to catch anyone who may still be hiding in the woods.
Authorities are investigating the how long the events have been taking place in Granville County, who organized it, how they got access to the property and more, Fountain said.
"We're just doing our homework. We’re still looking into any information that we can obtain."
Reaves, who lives nearby, has other questions.
"Who of them do I know? That’s definitely a question in my mind," he said. "To what extent were they doing this, and how long was this going on?"