The Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed three positive cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild white-tailed deer during the 2025-2026 hunting season in Noble, Franklin and Rush counties. CWD is a neurological disease affecting deer, resulting in their eventual death.

“Hunters play an important role in helping Indiana DNR monitor CWD in the deer herd. With their support, we are gaining a better understanding of the extent of this disease across the state,” said Joe Caudell, Indiana DNR deer biologist.

There have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. As a precautionary measure, DNR offers the public free testing of their legally harvested deer and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends not consuming CWD-positive meat.

Indiana’s DNR oversees both CWD Positive Areas, where CWD has been detected and is known to be in the deer population, and CWD Enhanced Surveillance Zones, where CWD has been detected but more information is needed to determine the best deer management actions.

The Noble County positive deer was found at the edge of the state’s current CWD Positive Area. This prompted DNR biologists to expand the area because it is likely there are additional deer in the neighboring counties with undetected CWD. The CWD Positive Area now includes LaGrange, Steuben, DeKalb, Noble, Allen and Whitley counties.

Because of the positive cases in Franklin and Rush counties, DNR will enhance its surveillance efforts in both counties and surrounding counties. Enhanced surveillance relies on voluntary CWD testing of hunter harvested deer.

CWD is caused by a misfolded prion causing damage to the animal’s nervous system. CWD can spread from deer-to-deer contact or through contaminated environments. It remains in the soil for many years. Animals in the late stages of CWD can experience drastic weight loss and show abnormal changes in behavior. If you see any sick or dead wildlife, please report it at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife.

Indiana’s various deer hunting seasons run from mid-September until the end of January.

Hunters can have their harvested deer tested for free by voluntarily submitting a sample via one of DNR’s head drop coolers or participating businesses. All CWD sampling locations can be viewed through an interactive map. Alternatively, people may submit samples directly to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) at Purdue University for a fee. More information and submission forms are available on the ADDL website.

For more information about CWD visit on.IN.gov/CWD.

Trout stockings In Indiana

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources plans to stock nearly 52,000 trout this spring in anticipation of the trout fishing season. Trout will be stocked in 37 bodies of water across 22 Indiana counties.

The Indiana DNR will stock streams with 20,850 rainbow trout in the weeks leading up to April 25, which is opening day of trout season for inland streams.

In addition to the rainbow trout stockings, several bodies of water in the north and one southern stream are getting additional brown trout stockings. More than 11,000 brown trout should be stocked in early May.

The stocked trout are from Curtis Creek Trout Rearing Station near Howe in LaGrange County and average roughly 11 inches in length.

Anglers may fish for trout in lakes year-round, so there’s no need to wait; all lake stockings were completed in February and March.

Trout will bite on a variety of artificial baits such as spinners and flies, but natural baits such as worms and bee moths tend to have the most success.

The bag limit for trout in inland waters, which are bodies of water other than Lake Michigan and its tributaries, is five per day with a minimum size of 7 inches. No more than one of an angler’s catch can be a brown trout. Additionally, any harvested brown trout caught below the Brookville tailwater, Oliver, Olin or Martin lakes must be 18 inches or larger to be kept.

To fish for trout, anglers age 18 and older need an Indiana fishing license and a trout/salmon stamp. Both may be bought at GoOutdoorsIN.com. To find a stocked stream near you, see the 2026 trout stocking plan at on.IN.gov/fish-stocking.

Juvenile dies in ORV accident

Indiana Conservation Officers were investigating a fatal off-road vehicle accident occurring on the afternoon of April 20 in Madison County.

At 4:50 p.m., Indiana Conservation Officers, along with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, were dispatched to the area near the 15300 block of North 100 West in Summitville for a single vehicle ORV accident with injuries.

The initial investigation revealed a 10-year-old juvenile was operating an ORV on private property when the 13-year-old passenger was ejected from the machine. The passenger was pronounced dead on the scene.

Neither the operator nor the passenger were wearing helmets or protective equipment at the time of the accident.

Indiana Conservation Officers urge owners, operators and passengers of ORVs to follow all manufacturers’ safety recommendations and to properly use all safety equipment, including seatbelts and helmets. For information on ORV laws and safe operating procedures, please visit offroad-ed.com/IN/handbook/ and on.IN.gov/offroading.

‘till next time, 

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.