Southeast Indiana hunters must meet stricter deer check-in requirements

Hunters who harvest a deer in Dearborn County north of State Road 48 between now and Nov. 27 must take their deer to a DNR check station to be sampled for bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

The DNR has established a bTB surveillance zone in Dearborn County north of S.R. 48 because the disease has been detected in a wild deer in neighboring Franklin County.

The following check stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, from Nov. 5-27.

— 3-D Mart at BP Gas Station, 27968 State Road 1, West Harrison.

— Gravel lot behind FCN Bank, 226 N. Meridian St., Sunman, Ripley County.

— Orscheln Farm & Home, 181 South Tanners Creek Drive, Lawrenceburg.

Having deer sampled for Bovine TB is voluntary throughout the season for deer harvested in Franklin County and Fayette County south of S.R. 44 at the check stations listed above; however, the DNR strongly encourages it.

DNR biologists will be present at the additional check stations listed below, which will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12; and Sunday, Nov. 13, only:

— Mustin’s Taxidermy, 1600 W. County Road 350-S, Connersville.

— 52 Pik-Up, 11183 U.S. 52, Brookville.

— Frame's Outdoor, 855 State Road 101, Liberty.

Outside of firearms opening weekend, heads from deer harvested in Franklin and south Fayette counties may be dropped off at any of the designated drop-off locations for bovine TB sampling. A complete list of drop-off locations is at wildlife.IN.gov/9320.htm.

Hunters who submit a buck at least 2 years old for bovine TB sampling from Franklin County, Fayette County south of S.R. 44, or Dearborn County north of S.R. 48 will be eligible to receive an authorization to take an additional buck in these designated areas only. The buck must first be inspected by a DNR biologist at a DNR check station . The second buck will also need to be submitted for bovine TB sampling.

Bovine TB test results for individual deer and regular updates on the surveillance can be found at wildlife.IN.gov/9320.htm.

For more information, visit wildlife.IN.gov/9320.htm .