HAYDEN, Ala. -- An Alabama sheriff is trying to figure out how hundreds of FedEx packages ended up dumped in the woods.

       An estimated 300 to 400 packages of various sizes were found in a ravine near the small town of Hayden on Wednesday, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

       Deputies were sent to guard the scene until FedEx workers could arrive to pick up the packages, Sheriff Mark Moon said. FedEx sent multiple trucks and drivers from across the South to load up the packages, Moon said.

       Photos posted on the sheriff's Facebook page show the packages strewn about the forest.

       It wasn’t clear why the packages were in the ravine, the sheriff said, but he hoped to have some answers soon.

       Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Friday.

       The site where the packages were found is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Birmingham.