Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2017 8:41:28 GMT -5
The 2016-17 Indiana White-tailed Deer Summary is a comprehensive report of the state’s deer herd including information on the deer hunting season, use of depredation permits, deer-vehicle collisions, and disease surveillance efforts.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to
be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.”
— Aldo Leopold
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
6
2016-2017 DEER HUNTING SEASON
Deer Harvested by Season
Previous summaries of Indiana deer hunting seasons
did not include harvest numbers from Indiana State Park
Reduction Hunts because those deer were checked in at
the properties and reported separately by the Division of
State Parks and Reservoirs. Now that the deer check-in
process is online for all hunters and hunts, deer har-
vested during State Park Reduction Hunts are included
in the check-in database and can be reported with the
statewide totals. Therefore, the 2016 summary includes
harvest numbers from this year’s State Park Reduction
Hunts. Additionally, harvest totals from 1993 to 2015 have
been adjusted to include deer harvested during these
hunts (Figures 1 and 2).
All deer were checked in electronically for the 2016
season via computer, smartphone, or through a pri-
vate vendor. Only 1,258 (1%) deer were checked in via
phone. Information collected during check-in is reported
to the best of the hunter’s ability. The age and sex of the
deer, equipment type used, and season of harvest, for
example, may change slightly in the months following
the completion of the season due to hunter corrections
to their harvest record (e.g., selecting “antlered buck”
instead of “antlerless button buck” in the check-in sys-
tem) or investigations by Indiana Conservation Officers.
Therefore, the numbers reported in this summary may
change slightly as corrections are made in the database.
Totals for the 2016 deer hunting season are current as of
February 6, 2017.
Shed bucks are checked in as antlerless deer in
CheckIN Game and do not count against a hunter’s buck
limit. However, for the purpose of analyzing the harvest
data, antlered bucks and shed bucks are grouped as
antlered deer while does and button bucks are grouped
as antlerless deer.
A total of 119,477 harvested deer wer
e reported in Indi-
ana during the 2016-2017 season (Figure 1). This harvest
was 4% lower than the 124,769 deer taken during the
2015 season. The antlered deer harvest of 51,783 was
1% more than the 51,176 reported in 2015. The antlerless
harvest of 67,694 was 8% less than the 73,593 harvested
in 2015. The 2016 reported harvest for total deer ranks
14th since 1951 when record-keeping was formalized,
while the total antlerless deer harvest ranks as the 15th
highest all-time in Indiana history. The antlered harvest
ranks 5th highest since reporting began in 1951. Approx-
imately 3.65 million deer have reported harvested during
the past 65 deer hunting seasons in Indiana.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
9
There were 28,178 deer harvested during Archery sea-
son, which represented 24% of the overall harvest, was
12% less than the 31,963 deer harvested in 2015 (Table
1). Antlerless deer (n=17,293) made up 61% of the total
Archery harvest (Figure 4).
Figure 4. 2016 Archery season harvest composition.
The Firearms season harvest of 77,527 deer (includ-
ing the firearms harvest from the Deer Reduction Zone)
increased by 4% from the 74,437 deer harvested in
2015 and represented 65% of the total harvest (Table 1).
The antlerless harvest of 39,394 deer was 3% greater
than the 2015 antlerless harvest of 38,170. The antlered
harvest of 38,133 was 5% greater than the antlered
deer harvested in 2015 (36,267). The percentage of the
antlered harvest exceeded the antlerless harvest on only
four days of the Firearm season (opening weekend and
the sixth and seventh days). The antlerless deer harvest
outnumbered antlered deer during the other 12 days of
the season (Table 2). During opening weekend 49% of
the total Firearms season harvest occurred, similar to
the 51% harvested during the 2015 season and the 49%
harvested during the 2014 season. Opening weekend
contributed 32% of the total harvest for the 2016 Fire-
arms season which is comparable to the 2015 opening
weekend contribution of 31%. Antlerless deer accounted
for 51% (41% were does) of the Firearms season harvest.
At 7,990 deer
, the Muzzleloader season harvest ac-
counted for 7% of the total 2016 harvest, a more than
20% decrease from the Muzzleloader harvests of 2015
(25% less), 2014 (26% less), and 2013 (23% less) (Table
1). Although the number of deer harvested during Muz-
zleloader season decreased from 2015, the proportion of
antlered versus antlerless deer remained the same. As in
previous years, a large percentage of the deer harvested
during the Muzzleloader season were antlerless (73%,
Figure.
The Special Antlerless Firearms season was available
for the fifth year in counties with a bonus county des-
ignation of four or more. A total of 59 counties met this
criterion in 2016 due to changes in the bonus antlerless
quotas from 2015; two counties were removed from the
season while one county was added to the season. Sixty
counties participated in 2015. The reported harvest dur-
ing this season was 4,202 (Table 1), with 98% of the har-
vest reported as antlerless deer (Figure 7). About 3% of
the harvest was reported as adult males who had already
shed their antlers.
Licensed resident hunters (Lifetime, Resident, Land-
owner, and Youth license holders) took 95% of the total
deer harvested in 2016, while licensed nonresidents con-
tributed 5% of the total harvest (Table 4). Hunters who
purchased regular annual deer hunting licenses (resident
plus non-resident) took 62% of the total deer harvest;
other individuals using discounted licenses or exemp-
tions (i.e., lifetime license holders, youth license holders,
landowners/tenants, and active-duty military personnel)
took 38% of the total harvest. Landowners and lessees
who hunted on their own land without a license and
military personnel on official leave status accounted
for around 12% of the total deer harvest. Of the deer
harvested by license-exempt hunters, nearly 99% were
taken by landowners/tenants while only 1% was taken by
military personnel on leave.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
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Bonus Antlerless Licenses
In addition to standard seasonal bag limits, hunters
could purchase bonus antlerless licenses to take ad-
ditional antlerless deer in any county. County bag limits
(quotas) ranged from A to eight. These licenses were
valid for one antlerless deer, and licensed deer hunters
could purchase an unlimited number of Bonus Antlerless
licenses as long as the county quotas were observed.
These licenses could be used during any deer hunting
season, using equipment legal for that season, except
the Deer Reduction Zone season. Bonus Antlerless
licenses could only be used in “A”-designated counties
November 24 through January 1. Quotas in Daviess, Gib-
son, Ohio, Posey, and Tippecanoe counties decreased
from 2015, while quotas in Perry and Porter counties
increased.
Harvest Age and Sex Structure
The age and sex structure of the 2016 deer harvest
was 43% adult males (antlered bucks and shed bucks),
47% adult females, and 10% male fawns (button bucks)
(Table 5). Antlerless deer represent the highest propor-
tion of the total deer harvest at 57% but dropping from
an all-time high of 66% in 2012. During the opening
weekend of Firearm season, DNR biologists have tradi-
tionally manned check stations throughout the state to
collect age-structure data and tissue samples for disease
surveillance. Prior to the 2012 season, all deer had to
be brought to a check station; therefore, age data col-
lected during the opening weekend of Firearms season
provided an unbiased method for determining the age
structure of the harvest. All hunters had to check in deer
online during the 2016 season; therefore, age estimates
of adult deer, such as the proportion of yearling bucks in
the harvest, became unreliable. Evaluation of the on-
line check-in data for the opening weekend of Firearm
season historically showed that hunters were more likely
to report antlered bucks at check stations than online,
but were more likely to report button bucks online than at
check stations, thus biasing estimates toward an older
age structure than the actual harvest. Therefore, we are
unable to provide age class estimates of adult deer and
will be unable to do so until we obtain a valid, scientific
method for correcting this bias.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
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Distribution of the Harvest
The number of deer harvested in individual counties
ranged from 110 in Benton County to 2,948 in Harrison
County (Table 7). Harvest exceeded 1,000 deer in 58
counties and 2,000 deer in 14 counties. The antlered
deer harvest exceeded 1,000 in 10 counties (up from
seven in 2015), while the antlerless harvest exceeded
1,000 deer in 26 counties compared with 28 the previ-
ous year. Antlerless deer accounted for at least 50% of
the total harvest in 88 of the state’s 92 counties in 2016.
The 10 counties with the highest harvests were, in
descending order, Harrison, Noble, Franklin, Washing-
Antlerless deer
accounted
for at least 50%
of the total
harvest in 88 of the state’s
92 counties in 2016.
ton, Steuben, Parke, Dearborn, Lawrence, Switzerland,
and Greene. The 10 counties with the lowest harvests,
beginning with the lowest, were Benton, Tipton, Hanthingy,
Clinton, Blackford, Howard, Rush, Marion, Wells, and
Shelb.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
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Effects of New High-Powered Rifle Law
(House Enrolled Act 1231)
Indiana DNR interpr
eted House Enrolled Act 1231 in
early 2016 to allow additional rifle options for deer hunt-
ing on private land only. The new rifle options required a
barrel length of at least 16 inches, cartridge case length
of at least 1.16 inches, and cartridges that fired bul-
lets with a diameter of .243 inches or .308 inches only.
Previous rifle restrictions still applied for deer hunting on
public land. The new law also approved the use of hand-
guns that fire the 10mm Automatic or 40 Smith & Wes-
son cartridges for deer hunting where firearms are legal
to use. House Enrolled Act 1231 required Indiana DNR
to analyze the effects the law change has on the deer
population, harvest numbers, and public safety.
Of the hunters that used equipment types other than a
rifle in the 2015 deer season, 8,399 used a rifle to harvest
at least one deer in 2016. Specifically by equipment
type, more than 20% of the hunters that used a bow,
crossbow, handgun, or muzzleloader in 2015 used a rifle
in 2016 either in place of or in combination with non-rifle
equipment (Table 9). In 2016, approximately 3,000 hunt-
ers purchased a license for the first time and harvested
at least one deer using a rifle.
The number of deer harvested in 2016 using rifles
increased 92% from 2015 (Table 3). Hunters took 105%
more antlered bucks with a rifle than in 2015 (Figure 9).
The shed buck, button buck, and doe harvests using a
rifle also increased from 2015 by 49%, 76%, and 83%,
respectively. However, the total number of antlered deer
harvested across all equipment types was only 1%
higher than 2015. Additionally, the 2016 total harvest
was 4% lower than 2015 indicating a shift in equipment
type used to harvest deer rather than the number of deer
harvested. Harvests using muzzleloaders, shotguns, and
handguns saw the largest declines (Figure 9).
The IDNR closely monitors hunting related incidents.
During the 2016 deer hunting season, there were no con-
firmed reports of injury or damage to property as a result
of high-powered rifles.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
21
DEER DEPREDATION PERMITS
Deer depredation permits are issued when individu-
als, business, and/or agencies experience problems
with deer. Permits are used to reduce conflict between
landowners and deer in localized areas. They are not
used as a form of population control, as demonstrated
by the low take when compared with the number of deer
harvested during the hunting season (Table 10). Typical
problems experienced in Indiana include browsing dam-
age to crops, orchards, and plants used for landscaping.
Permits are issued when landowners can demonstrate
damage in excess of $500. Permits may also be issued
to address disease concerns, as was recently needed in
parts of Franklin and Fayette counties to address issues
with bovine tuberculosis.
A total of 311 depredation permits were issued state-
wide in 2016, with an average of 13.4 deer authorized
per permit and an average of 4.7 deer taken per permit
(Table 10). Reported damaged ranged from $400 to
$86,250. Average reported percent of crop that was
damaged was 25.4% (n=293; 95% CI = 0.28, -0.03).
Soybeans were the most frequently reported crop dam-
age (n=199) with corn being the second most reported
damaged crop (n=188). To standardize damage values,
we used the Indiana average values for soybean and
corn production, which for 2015 was 50 bushels/acre
and 150 bushels/acre, respectfully (USDA NASS 2015
State Agricultural Overview). We also used a standard-
ized price per unit for soybean and corn, which for 2015
was $9.16 per bushel and $3.92 per bushel, respectively
(USDA NASS 2015 State Agricultural Overview). In 2016
the damage to soybeans was an estimated 15,924 acres
at a total estimated price of $7,293,068. The damage to
corn was an estimated 13,930 acres at a total estimated
price of $8,190,547 in 2016. Damage to other crops can
be found in Table 11. Reports of damage were not mutu-
ally exclusive in Table 11, so one permittee may have
requested a permit for multiple types of damage, such as
corn, soybeans, and pasture.
A total of 1,556 deer were taken statewide on deer
damage permits. When added to the number of deer
harvested by hunters in 2016, the number of deer taken
with damage permits represents 1.29% of the total take
(hunter-harvested + damage permits). Most of the deer
taken on damage permits were does (n=1,249), which
represents 1.81% of the total number of does taken
statewide by hunters and permit holders in 2016. A much
smaller number of bucks (n=281) were taken on damage
permits, which represents 0.54% of the total number of
bucks taken and harvested in 2016. The majority of deer
(76%) taken on damage permits were either consumed
or donated.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
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DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS
Deer-vehicle collisions are analyzed by standardizing
across years and counties using statistics on the Daily
Vehicle Miles Traveled (DVMT) provided by the Indiana
Department of Transportation. This adjustment (collisions
per billion miles traveled) accounts for changes in traffic
volume between counties to allow for an unbiased com-
parison between counties and years.
The total reported deer-vehicle collisions across the
state were down from 15,357 in 2015 to 14,021 collisions
in 2016 (Table 12). The number of deer-vehicle collisions
per billion miles traveled in 2016 was 182, down from 202
collisions per billion miles traveled in 2015.
Counties with the highest number of deer-vehicle
collisions per billion county miles traveled were Pulaski
(1004), Ohio (892), St. Joseph (881), and Greene (803)
(Figure 10). Three counties had 50 or fewer deer-vehicle
collisions per billion county miles traveled: Marion (10),
Lake (38), and Spencer (50). Deer-vehicle collisions per
billion miles traveled decreased in 64 counties, remained
constant in 2 counties, and increased in 26 counties
compared to 2015 (Figure 11). Seven counties showed a
greater than 15% increase in deer-vehicle collisions per
billion miles traveled while 31 counties showed a greater
than 15% decrease compared to 2015. Jennings County
had a 95% increase in the number of deer-vehicle colli-
sions per billion miles traveled.
Most deer-vehicle collision in 2016 occurred on state
roads (36%), county roads (28%), and US routes (17%)
(Table 13). Nearly 45% of deer-vehicle collisions in 2016
occurred between October and December (Figure 12).
The total economic cost of deer-vehicle collision in 2016
was $119 million based on the average estimated cost
per collision (Table 14)
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
30
DEER DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease
and is spread to deer through biting midges. Often worse
in drought years, outbreaks tend to occur in 5-10 year
cycles. Although we did receive sporadic reports of mor-
tality in white-tailed deer from around the state in 2016,
we did not test any deer for EHD because deer must be
reported and sampled within 24 hours to obtain a sample
that can be tested for EHD. Localized mortality in deer
from EHD can occur at any time, even if there is not a
significant outbreak. The last major outbreak of EHD
occurred in 2012, with a less widespread, but significant
outbreak the following year in 2013.
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chr
onic wasting disease (CWD) is one of a group of
diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopa-
thies, which includes scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease
in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. The
causative agents of CWD are prions that cause proteins
in the brain to fold abnormally. They are protease-resis-
tant (difficult to destroy) versions of normal cellular pro-
teins, that are synthesized in the central nervous system
and lymphoid tissues. Prions that cause CWD are highly
resistant to heat or disinfectant. CWD is spread through
direct (animal to animal contact) and indirect (soil to
animal) means. It is thought that the most common mode
of transmission is through saliva or urine. There is no
effective vaccine or treatment, and there is currently no
verifiable evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans.
CWD has not been identified in Indiana, but has been
detected in free ranging and captive deer in nearby
states. Illinois has detected CWD in free-ranging deer,
approximately 40 miles west of Lake County, Indiana.
In Michigan, CWD has been detected in both captive
facilities and in the free-ranging population. Free-ranging
deer with CWD have been found near Lansing, approxi-
mately 60 miles northeast of Steuben County, Indiana.
CWD has also been detected in captive deer in Homes
County, Ohio (approximately 140 miles east of Adams
County, Indiana), but not in the state’s wild deer popu-
lation. In 2002, Indiana initiated a monitoring program
to randomly sample tissues (obex or retropharyngeal
gland) from hunter-harvested deer throughout the state
(active surveillance). Reported carcasses of noticeably
sick deer are also tested (targeted surveillance). In 2007,
Indiana also began testing tissue samples from random
road-killed deer. This monitoring continues today.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife’s 2016 CWD sampling
effort included 836 deer through active and targeted
surveillance efforts. Lab results failed to detect CWD in
these samples. As of today, no CWD prions have been
detected in over 19,000 sampled deer since monitoring
began in 2002.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is caused by the bacterium
Mycobacterium bovis
, and often affects the respiratory
system of mammals. Historically, it is a relatively rare
disease that has affected white-tailed deer. Michigan
has had bovine tuberculosis in white-tailed deer in both
captive and wild cervids since 1994, and possibly as
early as 1975 when a single deer was detected with the
disease. No action was taken in 1975 because it was
believed to be an isolated case. In general, the threat of
humans contracting bovine tuberculosis from animals
today is very remote.
In 2008, bovine tuberculosis was detected in a single
cow in Franklin County, Indiana. Several months later,
bovine tuberculosis was detected in a captive cervid herd
consisting of elk, red deer, fallow deer, and sika deer. A
large proportion of animals on this farm were infected by
the bovine tuberculosis bacteria and were depopulated.
It was determined that the strain of bovine tuberculosis
was the cervid strain, as opposed to the Michigan strain
which is found in Michigan, or other bovine tuberculosis
strains found in other parts of the country. Because bovine
tuberculosis was detected in the captive cervid herd, in
2009 Indiana DNR along with the Indiana Board of Animal
Health (BOAH) initiated a surveillance plan to examine
hunter harvested deer for bovine tuberculosis through
voluntary hunter-harvested surveillance. In 2011, a herd
of cattle tested positive in Dearborn County for the same
strain of bovine tuberculosis. As a result, surveillance was
extended to include parts of Dearborn County in 2011.
From 2009 until 2015, surveillance continued, in south-
ern Fayette County, Franklin County, much of Dearborn
County, and parts of Ripley County. During this period.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
31
1,415 wild white-tailed deer were tested and found to be
negative for bovine tuberculosis. In April 2016, another
cattle operation consisting of two separate locations near
Metamora, IN tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
In December 2016, a third location near Laurel, IN also
tested positive. During routine wildlife testing procedures
on the two locations of the infected farm, raccoons, opos-
sums, woodchuck, and other species of medium size
mammals were trapped and tested, along with 16 wild
white-tailed deer. One of the wild white-tailed deer and
one raccoon tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. In all
cases it has been the cervid strain of bovine tuberculosis.
Based on genetic testing using whole genome sequenc-
ing at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory
(NVSL), all of the bovine tuberculosis found in Indiana is
closely related to each other, indicating a single source of
the infection.
As a result of the positive wild white-tailed deer, IDNR
with cooperation from BOAH and USDA APHIS Wildlife
and Veterinary Services initiated a surveillance program
during the 2016 hunting season. The goal was to test
approximately 2,000 deer for bovine tuberculosis, with
a large proportion of animals being bucks > 2 years old
because of their higher value in disease surveillance. The
objectives were to 1) determine the apparent prevalence
rate of bovine tuberculosis in south Fayette and Franklin
counties within a 10-mile radius of the 2016 affected farm
where the first wild white-tailed deer tested positive, and to
2) detect the disease at a low prevalence level within a 10-
mile radius of the 2011 affected farm in Dearborn County.
At the end of the 2016 deer hunting season, 2,044 sam-
ples were submitted to the Animal Disease Diagnostic
Lab at Purdue University and to the NVSL in Ames, Iowa.
All the hunter-harvested deer tested negative for bovine
tuberculosis.
Because only a sample of the deer population in Frank-
lin County were tested for bovine tuberculosis, we calcu-
lated the apparent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis
for the surveillance zone, which is a best-estimate of the
true prevalence (actual number of deer infected) of bovine
tuberculosis in the wild deer population. True prevalence
is only achieved by sampling every deer in the population,
which is impossible in free-ranging white-tailed deer.
To calculate the apparent prevalence, we used the
values determined by APHIS Wildlife and Veterinary
Services scientists in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the Cervid
Sample Size Calculator to “discount” deer based on their
age and sex (males and females less than 2 years old =
1/9 of bucks greater than 2 years old, females at least 2
years old = 1/3 of bucks at least 2 years old) and how the
sample was collected (hunter harvested sample = 0.75;
hunter harvested sample with a chest cavity inspection =
0.80; and a deer with a full necropsy = 0.85).
A total of 938 hunter-harvested deer and 16 targeted
deer (taken in July 2016) were tested within a 10-mile
radius of the location where the first infected wild white-
tailed deer was found in Franklin County (Figure 13).
Samples consisted of 241 deer less than 2 years old, 189
female deer at least 2 years old, and 524 male deer 2
years of age and older. Only one wild white-tailed deer, the
wild white-tailed deer removed from the bovine tuberculo-
sis affected farm in northern Franklin County, was positive
for bovine tuberculosis.
Adjusting the number of deer using the Cervid Sample
Size Calculator, we sampled an equivalent of 473 deer
within the 10-mile radius, resulting in a bovine tuberculosis
apparent prevalence rate of 0.21% with a 95% confidence
interval (-0.51%, 0.93%) in 2016. Prevalence cannot be
negative, so the range of possible rates is 0% to 0.93%,
with 0.21% being the most likely. This is the best estimate
of the true prevalence of bovine tuberculosis infected deer.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
32
in the wild deer population in the south Fayette and Frank-
lin counties 10-mile radius sampling area.
We can become more confident in our estimate of the
true prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in the wild deer
population and narrow the range of possible prevalence
rates by sampling more deer in future years. The IDNR
asks for continued support of hunters that hunt within 3
miles of the 2016 bovine tuberculosis affected farms to
submit harvested deer for bovine tuberculosis testing in
future deer seasons.
We tested 836 hunter-harvested deer within a 10-mile
radius of the 2011 bovine tuberculosis positive farm in
Dearborn County (Figure 13). The surveillance was com-
prised of 217 yearlings and fawns, 166 does that were
at least 2 years old, and 453 bucks that were at least 2
years old. All deer sampled tested negative for bovine
tuberculosis. Adjusting the number of hunter-harvested
deer that were sampled using the Cervid Sample Size
Calculator, we sampled the equivalent of 416 deer within
the 10-mile radius. Given our sampling effort, the appar-
ent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis was 0% with
a 95% confidence interval (-0.67% to 0.67%) in 2016.
Prevalence cannot be negative, so the true prevalence
rate with a 95% confidence interval is between 0% and
0.67%, with a greater likelihood of the true prevalence
being closer to apparent prevalence (0%) than at the far
end of the range (0.67%) of the confidence interval.
During the 2016 bovine tuberculosis surveillance effort,
IDNR offered an incentive for hunters to submit mature
bucks for bovine tuberculosis testing. Hunters who
harvested a buck at least 2 years old in the surveillance
area and submitted it for bovine tuberculosis testing were
eligible to receive an Authorization to Take an Additional
Buck. The hunter’s second buck also had to be at least
2 years old, taken from the surveillance area, and sub-
mitted for bovine tuberculosis testing. IDNR issued 819
additional buck tags to hunters and 113 (13.8%) of these
hunters were successful in harvesting a second mature
buck.
The Authorizations to Take an Additional Buck had
minimal impact on the deer harvest of Franklin, Fayette,
and Dearborn counties. The number of bucks harvested
in Franklin and Fayette counties increased by 85 antlered
deer (7.7%) and 27 antlered deer (6%), respectively,
from the number of bucks harvested in 2015 (Figure
14). The antlered harvest in Dearborn County increased
by only 10 bucks (<1%). The 2016 antlerless harvest in
Franklin County was down 266 (14.8%) deer from 2015.
Also, 205 fewer antlerless deer (13.8%) were harvested
in Dearborn County compared to 2015. Eighteen more
antlerless deer (2.8%) were harvested in Fayette County
in 2016 than in 2015. The total number of deer harvested
in Franklin and Dearborn counties decreased by 181
deer (6.3%) and 195 (7.6%), respectively, from 2015
totals. The deer harvest in Fayette County increased by
45 deer (4.1%) from 2015.
As a result of the overwhelming success of the surveil-
lance effort, the IDNR canceled previous plans to use
sharpshooters to reduce the deer population throughout
southern Fayette and Franklin counties in winter 2017.
In its place, the IDNR will use a management plan that
allows landowners to remove a limited number of deer
from their property using DNR-issued special disease
control permits through March 31, 2017. Permits will be
issued only to landowners within the core surveillance
area established in the 3-mile circles around the bovine
tuberculosis-affected sites in Franklin County (Figure 13).
Permits will allow a limited, specified number of deer to
be removed for the purposes of reducing disease risk to
livestock. As part of the permit application, applicants
will need to meet either one of the two conditions: 1) an
economic loss of property of at least $500 caused by
deer, or 2) the need to protect livestock from the potential
disease risk posed by wild white-tailed deer that may be
infected with bovine tuberculosis. Permit holders must
designate who will be allowed to shoot their specified
number of deer on their permit application.
The sampled hunter-harvested deer were evenly
distributed throughout the enhanced surveillance area
(Figure 13). However, some areas were not adequately
sampled and additional deer need to be tested to verify
the low apparent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis
in high risk areas. Therefore, the heads of all deer taken
using these permits must be submitted for bovine tuber-
culosis testing.
For more information on deer health, visit www.IN.gov/
dnr/fishwild/5466.htm
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to
be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.”
— Aldo Leopold
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
6
2016-2017 DEER HUNTING SEASON
Deer Harvested by Season
Previous summaries of Indiana deer hunting seasons
did not include harvest numbers from Indiana State Park
Reduction Hunts because those deer were checked in at
the properties and reported separately by the Division of
State Parks and Reservoirs. Now that the deer check-in
process is online for all hunters and hunts, deer har-
vested during State Park Reduction Hunts are included
in the check-in database and can be reported with the
statewide totals. Therefore, the 2016 summary includes
harvest numbers from this year’s State Park Reduction
Hunts. Additionally, harvest totals from 1993 to 2015 have
been adjusted to include deer harvested during these
hunts (Figures 1 and 2).
All deer were checked in electronically for the 2016
season via computer, smartphone, or through a pri-
vate vendor. Only 1,258 (1%) deer were checked in via
phone. Information collected during check-in is reported
to the best of the hunter’s ability. The age and sex of the
deer, equipment type used, and season of harvest, for
example, may change slightly in the months following
the completion of the season due to hunter corrections
to their harvest record (e.g., selecting “antlered buck”
instead of “antlerless button buck” in the check-in sys-
tem) or investigations by Indiana Conservation Officers.
Therefore, the numbers reported in this summary may
change slightly as corrections are made in the database.
Totals for the 2016 deer hunting season are current as of
February 6, 2017.
Shed bucks are checked in as antlerless deer in
CheckIN Game and do not count against a hunter’s buck
limit. However, for the purpose of analyzing the harvest
data, antlered bucks and shed bucks are grouped as
antlered deer while does and button bucks are grouped
as antlerless deer.
A total of 119,477 harvested deer wer
e reported in Indi-
ana during the 2016-2017 season (Figure 1). This harvest
was 4% lower than the 124,769 deer taken during the
2015 season. The antlered deer harvest of 51,783 was
1% more than the 51,176 reported in 2015. The antlerless
harvest of 67,694 was 8% less than the 73,593 harvested
in 2015. The 2016 reported harvest for total deer ranks
14th since 1951 when record-keeping was formalized,
while the total antlerless deer harvest ranks as the 15th
highest all-time in Indiana history. The antlered harvest
ranks 5th highest since reporting began in 1951. Approx-
imately 3.65 million deer have reported harvested during
the past 65 deer hunting seasons in Indiana.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
9
There were 28,178 deer harvested during Archery sea-
son, which represented 24% of the overall harvest, was
12% less than the 31,963 deer harvested in 2015 (Table
1). Antlerless deer (n=17,293) made up 61% of the total
Archery harvest (Figure 4).
Figure 4. 2016 Archery season harvest composition.
The Firearms season harvest of 77,527 deer (includ-
ing the firearms harvest from the Deer Reduction Zone)
increased by 4% from the 74,437 deer harvested in
2015 and represented 65% of the total harvest (Table 1).
The antlerless harvest of 39,394 deer was 3% greater
than the 2015 antlerless harvest of 38,170. The antlered
harvest of 38,133 was 5% greater than the antlered
deer harvested in 2015 (36,267). The percentage of the
antlered harvest exceeded the antlerless harvest on only
four days of the Firearm season (opening weekend and
the sixth and seventh days). The antlerless deer harvest
outnumbered antlered deer during the other 12 days of
the season (Table 2). During opening weekend 49% of
the total Firearms season harvest occurred, similar to
the 51% harvested during the 2015 season and the 49%
harvested during the 2014 season. Opening weekend
contributed 32% of the total harvest for the 2016 Fire-
arms season which is comparable to the 2015 opening
weekend contribution of 31%. Antlerless deer accounted
for 51% (41% were does) of the Firearms season harvest.
At 7,990 deer
, the Muzzleloader season harvest ac-
counted for 7% of the total 2016 harvest, a more than
20% decrease from the Muzzleloader harvests of 2015
(25% less), 2014 (26% less), and 2013 (23% less) (Table
1). Although the number of deer harvested during Muz-
zleloader season decreased from 2015, the proportion of
antlered versus antlerless deer remained the same. As in
previous years, a large percentage of the deer harvested
during the Muzzleloader season were antlerless (73%,
Figure.
The Special Antlerless Firearms season was available
for the fifth year in counties with a bonus county des-
ignation of four or more. A total of 59 counties met this
criterion in 2016 due to changes in the bonus antlerless
quotas from 2015; two counties were removed from the
season while one county was added to the season. Sixty
counties participated in 2015. The reported harvest dur-
ing this season was 4,202 (Table 1), with 98% of the har-
vest reported as antlerless deer (Figure 7). About 3% of
the harvest was reported as adult males who had already
shed their antlers.
Licensed resident hunters (Lifetime, Resident, Land-
owner, and Youth license holders) took 95% of the total
deer harvested in 2016, while licensed nonresidents con-
tributed 5% of the total harvest (Table 4). Hunters who
purchased regular annual deer hunting licenses (resident
plus non-resident) took 62% of the total deer harvest;
other individuals using discounted licenses or exemp-
tions (i.e., lifetime license holders, youth license holders,
landowners/tenants, and active-duty military personnel)
took 38% of the total harvest. Landowners and lessees
who hunted on their own land without a license and
military personnel on official leave status accounted
for around 12% of the total deer harvest. Of the deer
harvested by license-exempt hunters, nearly 99% were
taken by landowners/tenants while only 1% was taken by
military personnel on leave.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
13
Bonus Antlerless Licenses
In addition to standard seasonal bag limits, hunters
could purchase bonus antlerless licenses to take ad-
ditional antlerless deer in any county. County bag limits
(quotas) ranged from A to eight. These licenses were
valid for one antlerless deer, and licensed deer hunters
could purchase an unlimited number of Bonus Antlerless
licenses as long as the county quotas were observed.
These licenses could be used during any deer hunting
season, using equipment legal for that season, except
the Deer Reduction Zone season. Bonus Antlerless
licenses could only be used in “A”-designated counties
November 24 through January 1. Quotas in Daviess, Gib-
son, Ohio, Posey, and Tippecanoe counties decreased
from 2015, while quotas in Perry and Porter counties
increased.
Harvest Age and Sex Structure
The age and sex structure of the 2016 deer harvest
was 43% adult males (antlered bucks and shed bucks),
47% adult females, and 10% male fawns (button bucks)
(Table 5). Antlerless deer represent the highest propor-
tion of the total deer harvest at 57% but dropping from
an all-time high of 66% in 2012. During the opening
weekend of Firearm season, DNR biologists have tradi-
tionally manned check stations throughout the state to
collect age-structure data and tissue samples for disease
surveillance. Prior to the 2012 season, all deer had to
be brought to a check station; therefore, age data col-
lected during the opening weekend of Firearms season
provided an unbiased method for determining the age
structure of the harvest. All hunters had to check in deer
online during the 2016 season; therefore, age estimates
of adult deer, such as the proportion of yearling bucks in
the harvest, became unreliable. Evaluation of the on-
line check-in data for the opening weekend of Firearm
season historically showed that hunters were more likely
to report antlered bucks at check stations than online,
but were more likely to report button bucks online than at
check stations, thus biasing estimates toward an older
age structure than the actual harvest. Therefore, we are
unable to provide age class estimates of adult deer and
will be unable to do so until we obtain a valid, scientific
method for correcting this bias.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
16
Distribution of the Harvest
The number of deer harvested in individual counties
ranged from 110 in Benton County to 2,948 in Harrison
County (Table 7). Harvest exceeded 1,000 deer in 58
counties and 2,000 deer in 14 counties. The antlered
deer harvest exceeded 1,000 in 10 counties (up from
seven in 2015), while the antlerless harvest exceeded
1,000 deer in 26 counties compared with 28 the previ-
ous year. Antlerless deer accounted for at least 50% of
the total harvest in 88 of the state’s 92 counties in 2016.
The 10 counties with the highest harvests were, in
descending order, Harrison, Noble, Franklin, Washing-
Antlerless deer
accounted
for at least 50%
of the total
harvest in 88 of the state’s
92 counties in 2016.
ton, Steuben, Parke, Dearborn, Lawrence, Switzerland,
and Greene. The 10 counties with the lowest harvests,
beginning with the lowest, were Benton, Tipton, Hanthingy,
Clinton, Blackford, Howard, Rush, Marion, Wells, and
Shelb.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
19
Effects of New High-Powered Rifle Law
(House Enrolled Act 1231)
Indiana DNR interpr
eted House Enrolled Act 1231 in
early 2016 to allow additional rifle options for deer hunt-
ing on private land only. The new rifle options required a
barrel length of at least 16 inches, cartridge case length
of at least 1.16 inches, and cartridges that fired bul-
lets with a diameter of .243 inches or .308 inches only.
Previous rifle restrictions still applied for deer hunting on
public land. The new law also approved the use of hand-
guns that fire the 10mm Automatic or 40 Smith & Wes-
son cartridges for deer hunting where firearms are legal
to use. House Enrolled Act 1231 required Indiana DNR
to analyze the effects the law change has on the deer
population, harvest numbers, and public safety.
Of the hunters that used equipment types other than a
rifle in the 2015 deer season, 8,399 used a rifle to harvest
at least one deer in 2016. Specifically by equipment
type, more than 20% of the hunters that used a bow,
crossbow, handgun, or muzzleloader in 2015 used a rifle
in 2016 either in place of or in combination with non-rifle
equipment (Table 9). In 2016, approximately 3,000 hunt-
ers purchased a license for the first time and harvested
at least one deer using a rifle.
The number of deer harvested in 2016 using rifles
increased 92% from 2015 (Table 3). Hunters took 105%
more antlered bucks with a rifle than in 2015 (Figure 9).
The shed buck, button buck, and doe harvests using a
rifle also increased from 2015 by 49%, 76%, and 83%,
respectively. However, the total number of antlered deer
harvested across all equipment types was only 1%
higher than 2015. Additionally, the 2016 total harvest
was 4% lower than 2015 indicating a shift in equipment
type used to harvest deer rather than the number of deer
harvested. Harvests using muzzleloaders, shotguns, and
handguns saw the largest declines (Figure 9).
The IDNR closely monitors hunting related incidents.
During the 2016 deer hunting season, there were no con-
firmed reports of injury or damage to property as a result
of high-powered rifles.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
21
DEER DEPREDATION PERMITS
Deer depredation permits are issued when individu-
als, business, and/or agencies experience problems
with deer. Permits are used to reduce conflict between
landowners and deer in localized areas. They are not
used as a form of population control, as demonstrated
by the low take when compared with the number of deer
harvested during the hunting season (Table 10). Typical
problems experienced in Indiana include browsing dam-
age to crops, orchards, and plants used for landscaping.
Permits are issued when landowners can demonstrate
damage in excess of $500. Permits may also be issued
to address disease concerns, as was recently needed in
parts of Franklin and Fayette counties to address issues
with bovine tuberculosis.
A total of 311 depredation permits were issued state-
wide in 2016, with an average of 13.4 deer authorized
per permit and an average of 4.7 deer taken per permit
(Table 10). Reported damaged ranged from $400 to
$86,250. Average reported percent of crop that was
damaged was 25.4% (n=293; 95% CI = 0.28, -0.03).
Soybeans were the most frequently reported crop dam-
age (n=199) with corn being the second most reported
damaged crop (n=188). To standardize damage values,
we used the Indiana average values for soybean and
corn production, which for 2015 was 50 bushels/acre
and 150 bushels/acre, respectfully (USDA NASS 2015
State Agricultural Overview). We also used a standard-
ized price per unit for soybean and corn, which for 2015
was $9.16 per bushel and $3.92 per bushel, respectively
(USDA NASS 2015 State Agricultural Overview). In 2016
the damage to soybeans was an estimated 15,924 acres
at a total estimated price of $7,293,068. The damage to
corn was an estimated 13,930 acres at a total estimated
price of $8,190,547 in 2016. Damage to other crops can
be found in Table 11. Reports of damage were not mutu-
ally exclusive in Table 11, so one permittee may have
requested a permit for multiple types of damage, such as
corn, soybeans, and pasture.
A total of 1,556 deer were taken statewide on deer
damage permits. When added to the number of deer
harvested by hunters in 2016, the number of deer taken
with damage permits represents 1.29% of the total take
(hunter-harvested + damage permits). Most of the deer
taken on damage permits were does (n=1,249), which
represents 1.81% of the total number of does taken
statewide by hunters and permit holders in 2016. A much
smaller number of bucks (n=281) were taken on damage
permits, which represents 0.54% of the total number of
bucks taken and harvested in 2016. The majority of deer
(76%) taken on damage permits were either consumed
or donated.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
24
DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS
Deer-vehicle collisions are analyzed by standardizing
across years and counties using statistics on the Daily
Vehicle Miles Traveled (DVMT) provided by the Indiana
Department of Transportation. This adjustment (collisions
per billion miles traveled) accounts for changes in traffic
volume between counties to allow for an unbiased com-
parison between counties and years.
The total reported deer-vehicle collisions across the
state were down from 15,357 in 2015 to 14,021 collisions
in 2016 (Table 12). The number of deer-vehicle collisions
per billion miles traveled in 2016 was 182, down from 202
collisions per billion miles traveled in 2015.
Counties with the highest number of deer-vehicle
collisions per billion county miles traveled were Pulaski
(1004), Ohio (892), St. Joseph (881), and Greene (803)
(Figure 10). Three counties had 50 or fewer deer-vehicle
collisions per billion county miles traveled: Marion (10),
Lake (38), and Spencer (50). Deer-vehicle collisions per
billion miles traveled decreased in 64 counties, remained
constant in 2 counties, and increased in 26 counties
compared to 2015 (Figure 11). Seven counties showed a
greater than 15% increase in deer-vehicle collisions per
billion miles traveled while 31 counties showed a greater
than 15% decrease compared to 2015. Jennings County
had a 95% increase in the number of deer-vehicle colli-
sions per billion miles traveled.
Most deer-vehicle collision in 2016 occurred on state
roads (36%), county roads (28%), and US routes (17%)
(Table 13). Nearly 45% of deer-vehicle collisions in 2016
occurred between October and December (Figure 12).
The total economic cost of deer-vehicle collision in 2016
was $119 million based on the average estimated cost
per collision (Table 14)
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
30
DEER DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease
and is spread to deer through biting midges. Often worse
in drought years, outbreaks tend to occur in 5-10 year
cycles. Although we did receive sporadic reports of mor-
tality in white-tailed deer from around the state in 2016,
we did not test any deer for EHD because deer must be
reported and sampled within 24 hours to obtain a sample
that can be tested for EHD. Localized mortality in deer
from EHD can occur at any time, even if there is not a
significant outbreak. The last major outbreak of EHD
occurred in 2012, with a less widespread, but significant
outbreak the following year in 2013.
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chr
onic wasting disease (CWD) is one of a group of
diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopa-
thies, which includes scrapie in sheep, mad cow disease
in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. The
causative agents of CWD are prions that cause proteins
in the brain to fold abnormally. They are protease-resis-
tant (difficult to destroy) versions of normal cellular pro-
teins, that are synthesized in the central nervous system
and lymphoid tissues. Prions that cause CWD are highly
resistant to heat or disinfectant. CWD is spread through
direct (animal to animal contact) and indirect (soil to
animal) means. It is thought that the most common mode
of transmission is through saliva or urine. There is no
effective vaccine or treatment, and there is currently no
verifiable evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans.
CWD has not been identified in Indiana, but has been
detected in free ranging and captive deer in nearby
states. Illinois has detected CWD in free-ranging deer,
approximately 40 miles west of Lake County, Indiana.
In Michigan, CWD has been detected in both captive
facilities and in the free-ranging population. Free-ranging
deer with CWD have been found near Lansing, approxi-
mately 60 miles northeast of Steuben County, Indiana.
CWD has also been detected in captive deer in Homes
County, Ohio (approximately 140 miles east of Adams
County, Indiana), but not in the state’s wild deer popu-
lation. In 2002, Indiana initiated a monitoring program
to randomly sample tissues (obex or retropharyngeal
gland) from hunter-harvested deer throughout the state
(active surveillance). Reported carcasses of noticeably
sick deer are also tested (targeted surveillance). In 2007,
Indiana also began testing tissue samples from random
road-killed deer. This monitoring continues today.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife’s 2016 CWD sampling
effort included 836 deer through active and targeted
surveillance efforts. Lab results failed to detect CWD in
these samples. As of today, no CWD prions have been
detected in over 19,000 sampled deer since monitoring
began in 2002.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is caused by the bacterium
Mycobacterium bovis
, and often affects the respiratory
system of mammals. Historically, it is a relatively rare
disease that has affected white-tailed deer. Michigan
has had bovine tuberculosis in white-tailed deer in both
captive and wild cervids since 1994, and possibly as
early as 1975 when a single deer was detected with the
disease. No action was taken in 1975 because it was
believed to be an isolated case. In general, the threat of
humans contracting bovine tuberculosis from animals
today is very remote.
In 2008, bovine tuberculosis was detected in a single
cow in Franklin County, Indiana. Several months later,
bovine tuberculosis was detected in a captive cervid herd
consisting of elk, red deer, fallow deer, and sika deer. A
large proportion of animals on this farm were infected by
the bovine tuberculosis bacteria and were depopulated.
It was determined that the strain of bovine tuberculosis
was the cervid strain, as opposed to the Michigan strain
which is found in Michigan, or other bovine tuberculosis
strains found in other parts of the country. Because bovine
tuberculosis was detected in the captive cervid herd, in
2009 Indiana DNR along with the Indiana Board of Animal
Health (BOAH) initiated a surveillance plan to examine
hunter harvested deer for bovine tuberculosis through
voluntary hunter-harvested surveillance. In 2011, a herd
of cattle tested positive in Dearborn County for the same
strain of bovine tuberculosis. As a result, surveillance was
extended to include parts of Dearborn County in 2011.
From 2009 until 2015, surveillance continued, in south-
ern Fayette County, Franklin County, much of Dearborn
County, and parts of Ripley County. During this period.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
31
1,415 wild white-tailed deer were tested and found to be
negative for bovine tuberculosis. In April 2016, another
cattle operation consisting of two separate locations near
Metamora, IN tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
In December 2016, a third location near Laurel, IN also
tested positive. During routine wildlife testing procedures
on the two locations of the infected farm, raccoons, opos-
sums, woodchuck, and other species of medium size
mammals were trapped and tested, along with 16 wild
white-tailed deer. One of the wild white-tailed deer and
one raccoon tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. In all
cases it has been the cervid strain of bovine tuberculosis.
Based on genetic testing using whole genome sequenc-
ing at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory
(NVSL), all of the bovine tuberculosis found in Indiana is
closely related to each other, indicating a single source of
the infection.
As a result of the positive wild white-tailed deer, IDNR
with cooperation from BOAH and USDA APHIS Wildlife
and Veterinary Services initiated a surveillance program
during the 2016 hunting season. The goal was to test
approximately 2,000 deer for bovine tuberculosis, with
a large proportion of animals being bucks > 2 years old
because of their higher value in disease surveillance. The
objectives were to 1) determine the apparent prevalence
rate of bovine tuberculosis in south Fayette and Franklin
counties within a 10-mile radius of the 2016 affected farm
where the first wild white-tailed deer tested positive, and to
2) detect the disease at a low prevalence level within a 10-
mile radius of the 2011 affected farm in Dearborn County.
At the end of the 2016 deer hunting season, 2,044 sam-
ples were submitted to the Animal Disease Diagnostic
Lab at Purdue University and to the NVSL in Ames, Iowa.
All the hunter-harvested deer tested negative for bovine
tuberculosis.
Because only a sample of the deer population in Frank-
lin County were tested for bovine tuberculosis, we calcu-
lated the apparent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis
for the surveillance zone, which is a best-estimate of the
true prevalence (actual number of deer infected) of bovine
tuberculosis in the wild deer population. True prevalence
is only achieved by sampling every deer in the population,
which is impossible in free-ranging white-tailed deer.
To calculate the apparent prevalence, we used the
values determined by APHIS Wildlife and Veterinary
Services scientists in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the Cervid
Sample Size Calculator to “discount” deer based on their
age and sex (males and females less than 2 years old =
1/9 of bucks greater than 2 years old, females at least 2
years old = 1/3 of bucks at least 2 years old) and how the
sample was collected (hunter harvested sample = 0.75;
hunter harvested sample with a chest cavity inspection =
0.80; and a deer with a full necropsy = 0.85).
A total of 938 hunter-harvested deer and 16 targeted
deer (taken in July 2016) were tested within a 10-mile
radius of the location where the first infected wild white-
tailed deer was found in Franklin County (Figure 13).
Samples consisted of 241 deer less than 2 years old, 189
female deer at least 2 years old, and 524 male deer 2
years of age and older. Only one wild white-tailed deer, the
wild white-tailed deer removed from the bovine tuberculo-
sis affected farm in northern Franklin County, was positive
for bovine tuberculosis.
Adjusting the number of deer using the Cervid Sample
Size Calculator, we sampled an equivalent of 473 deer
within the 10-mile radius, resulting in a bovine tuberculosis
apparent prevalence rate of 0.21% with a 95% confidence
interval (-0.51%, 0.93%) in 2016. Prevalence cannot be
negative, so the range of possible rates is 0% to 0.93%,
with 0.21% being the most likely. This is the best estimate
of the true prevalence of bovine tuberculosis infected deer.
2016 INDIANA WHITE-TAILED DEER SUMMARY
32
in the wild deer population in the south Fayette and Frank-
lin counties 10-mile radius sampling area.
We can become more confident in our estimate of the
true prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in the wild deer
population and narrow the range of possible prevalence
rates by sampling more deer in future years. The IDNR
asks for continued support of hunters that hunt within 3
miles of the 2016 bovine tuberculosis affected farms to
submit harvested deer for bovine tuberculosis testing in
future deer seasons.
We tested 836 hunter-harvested deer within a 10-mile
radius of the 2011 bovine tuberculosis positive farm in
Dearborn County (Figure 13). The surveillance was com-
prised of 217 yearlings and fawns, 166 does that were
at least 2 years old, and 453 bucks that were at least 2
years old. All deer sampled tested negative for bovine
tuberculosis. Adjusting the number of hunter-harvested
deer that were sampled using the Cervid Sample Size
Calculator, we sampled the equivalent of 416 deer within
the 10-mile radius. Given our sampling effort, the appar-
ent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis was 0% with
a 95% confidence interval (-0.67% to 0.67%) in 2016.
Prevalence cannot be negative, so the true prevalence
rate with a 95% confidence interval is between 0% and
0.67%, with a greater likelihood of the true prevalence
being closer to apparent prevalence (0%) than at the far
end of the range (0.67%) of the confidence interval.
During the 2016 bovine tuberculosis surveillance effort,
IDNR offered an incentive for hunters to submit mature
bucks for bovine tuberculosis testing. Hunters who
harvested a buck at least 2 years old in the surveillance
area and submitted it for bovine tuberculosis testing were
eligible to receive an Authorization to Take an Additional
Buck. The hunter’s second buck also had to be at least
2 years old, taken from the surveillance area, and sub-
mitted for bovine tuberculosis testing. IDNR issued 819
additional buck tags to hunters and 113 (13.8%) of these
hunters were successful in harvesting a second mature
buck.
The Authorizations to Take an Additional Buck had
minimal impact on the deer harvest of Franklin, Fayette,
and Dearborn counties. The number of bucks harvested
in Franklin and Fayette counties increased by 85 antlered
deer (7.7%) and 27 antlered deer (6%), respectively,
from the number of bucks harvested in 2015 (Figure
14). The antlered harvest in Dearborn County increased
by only 10 bucks (<1%). The 2016 antlerless harvest in
Franklin County was down 266 (14.8%) deer from 2015.
Also, 205 fewer antlerless deer (13.8%) were harvested
in Dearborn County compared to 2015. Eighteen more
antlerless deer (2.8%) were harvested in Fayette County
in 2016 than in 2015. The total number of deer harvested
in Franklin and Dearborn counties decreased by 181
deer (6.3%) and 195 (7.6%), respectively, from 2015
totals. The deer harvest in Fayette County increased by
45 deer (4.1%) from 2015.
As a result of the overwhelming success of the surveil-
lance effort, the IDNR canceled previous plans to use
sharpshooters to reduce the deer population throughout
southern Fayette and Franklin counties in winter 2017.
In its place, the IDNR will use a management plan that
allows landowners to remove a limited number of deer
from their property using DNR-issued special disease
control permits through March 31, 2017. Permits will be
issued only to landowners within the core surveillance
area established in the 3-mile circles around the bovine
tuberculosis-affected sites in Franklin County (Figure 13).
Permits will allow a limited, specified number of deer to
be removed for the purposes of reducing disease risk to
livestock. As part of the permit application, applicants
will need to meet either one of the two conditions: 1) an
economic loss of property of at least $500 caused by
deer, or 2) the need to protect livestock from the potential
disease risk posed by wild white-tailed deer that may be
infected with bovine tuberculosis. Permit holders must
designate who will be allowed to shoot their specified
number of deer on their permit application.
The sampled hunter-harvested deer were evenly
distributed throughout the enhanced surveillance area
(Figure 13). However, some areas were not adequately
sampled and additional deer need to be tested to verify
the low apparent prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis
in high risk areas. Therefore, the heads of all deer taken
using these permits must be submitted for bovine tuber-
culosis testing.
For more information on deer health, visit www.IN.gov/
dnr/fishwild/5466.htm