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COLE COUNTY, MO. -- Life in the country has its own frustrations.

Mailbox vandals are on that list and they were at it again Sunday night in western Cole County.

Jeff Rook has live on Route Z near Highway 179 for eight years. It's not the first time he's found his mailbox lying on the ground.

"This is the second time," Vandalism Victim Jeff Rook said.   

Sometime after 10 p.m. Sunday, vandals smashed more than 36 mailboxes at homes along Routes Z, N, and U. Authorities spent the morning logging the damage.

"I know this kinda thing happens a lot,” Cole County Deputy Aaron Bolinger said. “I grew in a rural area and I know it's not uncommon.”

Bolinger said no one saw or heard anything that could lead to help identify the vandals.

A fast moving car and a baseball bat don't leave many clues. But they can do a lot of damage, especially to metal boxes that will leak when bent even a little. 

The plastic ones seem to take the abuse better.

“I think mine's reparable,” Rook said.

Even though the potential for an arrest appears to be low, Bolinger said anyone who experiences mailbox vandalism should not hesitate to contact the sheriff's office to make a report.