Indiana collecting deer samples after bovine TB discovery

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana officials say they plan to collect samples from as many as 1,100 deer in response to the discovery of bovine tuberculosis in wild in the state for the first time.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday that it has created a Bovine Tuberculosis Management Zone in three east-central counties where it will collect samples. The emphasis will be on bucks 2-years-old and older. The disease was recently found in a wild white-tailed deer at a Franklin County cattle farm.

The department will meet its goal by requiring mandatory check-in of hunter-harvested deer Sept. 24-25 and Nov. 4-27. There also will be voluntary sample submission from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3 and Dec. 3-11.

Officials say if hunter participation is low they will remove deer from the surveillance area early next year.