Ind. expects good deer harvest this season

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana wildlife officials predict deer hunters will have another good season when firearms season opens this weekend.

Department of Natural Resources deer biologist Chad Smith said Monday that hunters could come close to the 134,000 deer they tagged in 2010. Hunters collected more than 37,000 deer during last year’s opening weekend of firearms season.

The firearms season opens Nov. 12 and runs through Nov. 27. Muzzleloader season starts Dec. 3 and ends Dec. 18. Early archery season is under way and ends Nov. 27. Late archery season runs from Dec. 3 to Jan. 1.

State deer biologists will be testing for chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis at 60 locations throughout the state.