CWD drop off station- What a joke!

[buglebuster]

This has got to be a joke! Daughter got her deer Monday and I had planned to swing by the last resort check station and let them pull the lymph nodes on the way home. They aren’t open except on the weekends. A lot of good that does… decided to just stop at the drop off location at the ranger station in pomeroy. We had left 4 inches of neck attached to the skull after boning the entire deer out in the field. Got to the drop box and read the instructions. Said fill out the info on the form and put in provided ziplock bag, and attach it to the bag you put the skull in. Said use the provided saw to cutoff the skull cap and leave the rest of the head and neck in the box. Well, I wasn’t going to do that with her buck because we were doing a euro mount and going to boil the skull after dropping the lymph nodes and heading home. Anyways, there was no saw, no ziplock bags, no zip ties, no paper to fill out…. I was ANGRY! I ended up cutting the neck I left attached off at base of skull and made sure the lymph nodes were with, took an envelope out of my truck and filled out whatever info I figured they’d need since it didn’t say, and put in the garbage bag and attached the info and put in the box. I made sure to write down my displeasure on the envelope. What does the state expect us to do when they make this mandatory yet missing all of the required pieces at the drop sites?

[vandeman17]

I have mixed feelings on my experience. The good side of things was that there were multiple locations to drop off the samples that were easy to find and well marked. The bad side was that there was no in person sites since general deer season hadn't started yet and also really no directions on how to get to the lymph nodes. We tried watching a few youtube videos that each showed different ways of getting to them. Honestly, I don't even know if what I got was the actual lymph nodes but I put in the little envelope what we guessed were them so we did our part. Bigger picture, do I think doing all this will make a lick of difference with how they manage the herds, that is a big fat negative.

[NWBREW]

Just remove the lymph nodes yourself. I went down a few weeks ago just to be prepared. Really not that big of a deal.

[MR5x5]

Since this state continues to be a clown show.  When in doubt, refer to IDFG for professional guidance on such things.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/cwd/sampling/how-to

[buglebuster]

Just remove the lymph nodes yourself. I went down a few weeks ago just to be prepared. Really not that big of a deal.

That’s what I did on my deer in muzzleloader season but there is completely irrelevant to my post. I’m just stating if this is going to be a requirement they need to make damn sure they provide all needed tools at the drop sites, especially when they are supposed to be there. Maybe a little more training/info on how to do it yourself as well.

[NWBREW]

Yeah, I hear what you’re saying and agree they could have sent out training for removals of the lymph nodes. We have new hunters every year that need/want the training for this kind of thing for sure. Lack of the tools bags and zip ties is definitely an issue but sadly does not surprise me.

On a side note, I am all for this requirement as it can help determine possible hot spots for this. Which in turn may affect my future hunting plans. When I talked to the techs at the WDFW in Colville they told me there has been 5 confirmed cases in Washington total. 4 down south of Spokane and one in GMU113.

[outdooraddict]

1000% agree, I had a friend have a deer die in his business, and he called the game dept, likely ehd or blue tongue, he asked if they wanted to sample for cwd, and the game warden said "no we dont want to deal with it" his option was to bury it or let it rot right there.  they are so scared of this CWD and the herd, but they have endless supply of lymph nodes form all the deer dying and they dont want to mess with it, it proves to me right there, if they don't want the samples, then i dont either. its clearly not a huge concern. its not about the heards, its just another hoop to jump through 

[Pathfinder101]

I have mixed feelings on my experience. The good side of things was that there were multiple locations to drop off the samples that were easy to find and well marked. The bad side was that there was no in person sites since general deer season hadn't started yet and also really no directions on how to get to the lymph nodes. We tried watching a few youtube videos that each showed different ways of getting to them. Honestly, I don't even know if what I got was the actual lymph nodes but I put in the little envelope what we guessed were them so we did our part. Bigger picture, do I think doing all this will make a lick of difference with how they manage the herds, that is a big fat negative.

Same here with lymph nodes.  They're not as easy to find as the videos show.  I did my sister's and my son's buck.  Pretty sure I got both the glands on my sister's deer, but on my son's I got three things that looked like a lymph node.  I bagged all three.  Hope I did it right, but clearly I'm not 100% sure.  I'm not turning in the heads, we did euros on both bucks. 

[dwils233]

Yeah, I hear what you’re saying and agree they could have sent out training for removals of the lymph nodes. We have new hunters every year that need/want the training for this kind of thing for sure. Lack of the tools bags and zip ties is definitely an issue but sadly does not surprise me.

On a side note, I am all for this requirement as it can help determine possible hot spots for this. Which in turn may affect my future hunting plans. When I talked to the techs at the WDFW in Colville they told me there has been 5 confirmed cases in Washington total. 4 down south of Spokane and one in GMU113.

I think BHA and a few other groups have done live demo's for how to remove the lymph nodes, but we need to find a way to do that at a larger scope and scale. videos are great and all, but a live demo with the ability to get up close and talk it out would be ideal

[hunter399]

This has got to be a joke! Daughter got her deer Monday and I had planned to swing by the last resort check station and let them pull the lymph nodes on the way home. They aren’t open except on the weekends. A lot of good that does… decided to just stop at the drop off location at the ranger station in pomeroy. We had left 4 inches of neck attached to the skull after boning the entire deer out in the field. Got to the drop box and read the instructions. Said fill out the info on the form and put in provided ziplock bag, and attach it to the bag you put the skull in. Said use the provided saw to cutoff the skull cap and leave the rest of the head and neck in the box. Well, I wasn’t going to do that with her buck because we were doing a euro mount and going to boil the skull after dropping the lymph nodes and heading home. Anyways, there was no saw, no ziplock bags, no zip ties, no paper to fill out…. I was ANGRY! I ended up cutting the neck I left attached off at base of skull and made sure the lymph nodes were with, took an envelope out of my truck and filled out whatever info I figured they’d need since it didn’t say, and put in the garbage bag and attached the info and put in the box. I made sure to write down my displeasure on the envelope. What does the state expect us to do when they make this mandatory yet missing all of the required pieces at the drop sites?

Had the same problem last year on a WT.
No way was I leaving my antlers and wanted a euro.
Was a Sunday,check station just closed before I got there.
I did the euro,put bottom jaw,neck , basically a hot mess in a bag.
They got a sample .
My opinion they should have a full time check station/with staff in every county for the entire length of modern .
I just got back from Spokane to submit my sample.
So I do agree ,drop box is kinda a joke,but if your in a hurry to drop it then I guess it works.

[ganghis]

I have mixed feelings on my experience. The good side of things was that there were multiple locations to drop off the samples that were easy to find and well marked. The bad side was that there was no in person sites since general deer season hadn't started yet and also really no directions on how to get to the lymph nodes. We tried watching a few youtube videos that each showed different ways of getting to them. Honestly, I don't even know if what I got was the actual lymph nodes but I put in the little envelope what we guessed were them so we did our part. Bigger picture, do I think doing all this will make a lick of difference with how they manage the herds, that is a big fat negative.

Same here with lymph nodes.  They're not as easy to find as the videos show.  I did my sister's and my son's buck.  Pretty sure I got both the glands on my sister's deer, but on my son's I got three things that looked like a lymph node.  I bagged all three.  Hope I did it right, but clearly I'm not 100% sure.  I'm not turning in the heads, we did euros on both bucks.

Ha ha, I did the same thing in Idaho a few years ago!  3 "lymph nodes" in a bag, but hey I still got a result (negative, fortunately).  Whatever you/I did seemed to work.  I also watched a video beforehand and then a second time on one of the pack outs and actually went back to the carcass to root around a little more.

[Pathfinder101]

I have mixed feelings on my experience. The good side of things was that there were multiple locations to drop off the samples that were easy to find and well marked. The bad side was that there was no in person sites since general deer season hadn't started yet and also really no directions on how to get to the lymph nodes. We tried watching a few youtube videos that each showed different ways of getting to them. Honestly, I don't even know if what I got was the actual lymph nodes but I put in the little envelope what we guessed were them so we did our part. Bigger picture, do I think doing all this will make a lick of difference with how they manage the herds, that is a big fat negative.

Same here with lymph nodes.  They're not as easy to find as the videos show.  I did my sister's and my son's buck.  Pretty sure I got both the glands on my sister's deer, but on my son's I got three things that looked like a lymph node.  I bagged all three.  Hope I did it right, but clearly I'm not 100% sure.  I'm not turning in the heads, we did euros on both bucks.

Ha ha, I did the same thing in Idaho a few years ago!  3 "lymph nodes" in a bag, but hey I still got a result (negative, fortunately).  Whatever you/I did seemed to work.  I also watched a video beforehand and then a second time on one of the pack outs and actually went back to the carcass to root around a little more.

In the videos the game bios just grab the windpipe, make a cut and those things pop right out.  I wonder how much practice that takes.  They sure didn't pop out for me, and I've done a lot of work with deer heads.
But then, I'm not a pro.
Cal Raleigh makes home runs look easy too...

[tgomez]

It was something new after 31 years of deer hunting to say the least.

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

When are we gonna get a field saliva test or something of the sort so we can determine right then and there what’s going on with the animal?  Seems like some archaic stuff what we are trying to do to help study this prion when I’m sure if some organization dumped a few million they could develop a quick eye poke tester stick. Submit photos with serial numbers to state showing field test performed, email it all in. Save a stick for butcher for proof and you're done.

[HunterStrait]

The ranger station down the road had a drop off location and freezer. Although there was no saw to take the antlers off my buck down there either, but we were prepared to do so ourselves.
There were a lot of people who just left the heads behind in the disposal drop off area, but i was kinda disappointed that there was no rangers or wardens out during the week to ask questions about this situation since i shot my buck on Monday. When i dropped my buck head off there i was surprised to only see one other head.
Lots of miscommunications and the absence from the game department really didn't help.

I don't think these rules are going to be permanent, but it sure is and was a massive pain.