Wildlife officials hope to check tags, test tissue from animals out of concern over chronic wasting disease

Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants hunters to be on the lookout for ear-tagged deer in Jackson County and neighboring Bartholomew, Jennings and Scott counties.

Hunters also are urged to harvest them, if possible.

Wildlife officials want to check the tags and test tissue from the deer out of concern about chronic wasting disease, department spokesman Phil Bloom said.

“We want to make sure deer that have tags are taken in, tested and determined if they’ve been exposed to this disease,” Bloom said. “It could have some far-reaching ramifications.”

So far the disease has never been found in Indiana, which has been testing for the disease since 2002.

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