(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Deer hunters across Indiana are counting down the hours to this Saturday.

That’s when firearm season begins and continues through November 28. Other less popular seasons include Early Archery Season (Oct. 1 through Nov. 28), Muzzleloader Season (Dec. 4 through 19), and Late Archery Season (Dec. 4 through Jan. 2).

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says a record of 132,152 deer were harvested by Hoosier hunters during the 2009-10 season.

Southeast Indiana has traditionally been one of Indiana’s best areas for hunting whitetail. Switzerland County saw a total of 3,223 deer harvested by hunters, the third-most in the state’s 92 counties.  Franklin County was fifth with 3,063 and Dearborn County came in sixth with 2,981.

Deer hunters must have licenses, which can be picked up at various locations. They can also be purchased online at the Indiana Outdoor Online licensing website at http://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/dnr-license/.

The DNR has posted their 2010-2011 Deer Hunting Guide for hunters on its website, www.DNR.IN.gov or here (PDF).

The 37-page document includes an explanation of where hunting license fees go, a temporary deer transportation tag, venison donation programs, and a list of county-by-county public hunting areas.