Spent .22 calibre ammunition shells have been found scattered around a southern Queensland wildflower reserve where the bodies of 55 greyhounds were discovered, in what Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller has described as a "mass murder" by "oxygen thieves".

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Police and the RSPCA's joint taskforce into the disgraced industry discovered the mass dumping site south of Bundaberg on Wednesday after being tipped off.

Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth said the greyhounds were in varying states of decomposition, which indicates that they were dumped over varying periods of time.

There was no attempt to bury the carcasses and they were left out, some with a single gunshot wound, to be fed on by wild animals, Detective Ainsworth said.

Wildfires have ripped through the area in recent months, which destroyed some of the carcasses, and police are investigating if the fires were deliberately lit.

"It appears that maybe a common knowledge dumping ground," Detective Ainsworth said.

"It could be that someone within the industry knows the remoteness of that area and knows that it's a safe place to dispose of greyhounds that are no longer performing. It is quite disturbing.

"You know who you are, you know what you've been involved in, and now is the time to stand up and be counted and come forward before we start knocking on your door."

Authorities are trying to determine if it was a mass killing. ( ABC News: Kallee Buchanan )

Only one road in and out of killing field

The Vera Scarth-Johnson Wildflower Reserve is off Coonarr Road, near the Kinkuna National Park.

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Detective Ainsworth said there was only one road in and out and locals must know regular users of the reserve.

"The beach area near the locations is utilised by local greyhounds racers to train their dogs," he said.

"We want anyone with good local knowledge of the area to come forward."

Brenden Trickey lives near the site where the dogs were found and said he was shocked so many were dumped in such a small area.

"This area here is very quiet and friendly, everyone seems to know everyone," he said.

"It's the last thing you'd expect in this area.

"Everyone's got a pet. Everyone out here owns a dog and I could not imagine anyone out here doing such a disgusting act."

Mr Trickey said the road where the dogs were found is quite remote.

The beachside reserve where the dog carcasses were dumped. ( ABC News: Kallee Buchanan )

"It's just the main road to the beach really, there's a couple of houses there but mainly beach houses for rentals," he said.

"But other than that it's very quiet in general up that road."

Bundaberg Greyhound Club president Stephen Bland took to social media on Wednesday night to express shock at the discovery.

"We are appalled by the news and are doing all we can to find whomever is responsible for this disgraceful act," he said.

Queensland Police Minister labels killers 'oxygen thieves'

Ms Miller said Racing Queensland and police have identified a number of trainers and owners in the area and that would form part of the investigation.

"The people who have perpetrated this crime to me are oxygen thieves, they are cowards and they are pathetic," she said.

The greyhound carcasses were found in the Coonarr area, south-east of Bundaberg. ( Google Maps )

Chief executive Darren Condon said Racing Queensland will take action once the police investigation is finished.

"I don't think there's any other way to describe it but horrific," he said.

"We're obviously working with the Queensland police force and RSPCA and we'll wait for a full report from the Queensland police and once we have that report we'll take the appropriate action, so any individuals involved and what's come out from yesterday."

Detective Ainsworth said many of the deaths appear to have occurred before the ABC's Four Corners exposed in February live-baiting and cruelty in the industry.

The program showed footage of live piglets, possums and rabbits being fixed to mechanical lures and catapulted around tracks while being chased, and eventually killed, by dogs.

The program led to numerous animal cruelty charges, life bans from the industry and the creation of the taskforce which found the dogs on Wednesday night.

In Queensland, a total of 36 trainers have been suspended over the scandal, with six now issued with life bans from dog racing.

The Queensland Government has also ordered an independent review of the state's greyhound industry to investigate how the practice went undetected.