deer

The appearance of chronic wasting disease has prompted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to increase deer surveillance in southwest Indiana in the next hunting season.

A Senate bill, SB 32, aims to make Indiana’s deer more genetically resilient to chronic wasting disease. It’s an incurable illness in deer that causes neurological problems, much like mad cow disease.

Other bills heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee address invasive plant species and chronic wasting disease in deer.

Griffy Lake will be closed from Nov. 16-17 and Nov. 23-24 for a deer hunt. Residents will not be able to hike, fish or boat.

Indiana drivers are most likely to hit deer from October to December, but careful driving could prevent collisions.

The positive case was recorded in northern Indiana’s LaGrange County and is adjacent to a region in Michigan where the disease has previously been detected.

In a lengthy outline on the DNR website, the agency detailed the 17 proposed changes and said it would simplify the process for hunters and reduce confusion.

Timing is a factor in what deer eat. I have found that in the early spring when there are plenty of fresh green leafy plants in my beds, the deer avoid my hosta, but in July, they eat every one of them to the ground.

The city is paying White Buffalo Inc. over $23,000 to coordinate this year’s hunt.

Subsequent offenders can be fined $100. However, there is no mandate to report deer feeding.