‘25 Iowa whitetail

[Hem]

CWD sampler just left. Always good to talk to the biologist. We will have all the deer but 2 harvested this year tested for CWD. I should get an accurate count but I think we are around 24 deer. A dozen bucks and the rest does. We have been good about letting spikes and fork horns slide this year but as we get closer to the end sometimes trigger fingers get happy.

Hopefully they are competent pulling the correct tissue. I had the pleasure of pitching my deer in the landfill this year due to an improper tissue sample taken by Fish and Game. Friend of mine killed a buck a mile away that was positive, this in a high cwd area.
Kinda felt like I had no choice.
A potential " not detected" result would still have been possible.

 

[Gellar]

Drive # 3 starting. I’m 100 yards into the woods and I already kicked up 6 deer. There’s been about 15 shots from standers. I love the adrenaline rush when I hear the shots as a driver but it is a let down when you get done and they have 4 does instead of the big monster buck I envision each shot being.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Drive # 3 starting. I’m 100 yards into the woods and I already kicked up 6 deer. There’s been about 15 shots from standers. I love the adrenaline rush when I hear the shots as a driver but it is a let down when you get done and they have 4 does instead of the big monster buck I envision each shot being.

Do you guys use any poppers/bird bangers on your drives? I grew up in Ohio doing drives similar to you, but usually only about 4 drivers and 4-6 standers probably smaller areas or we didn't have it covered as well as you guys do. The bird banger was cutting edge that few folks knew of or used back then. Nothing like being on stand and hearing that first bang to put a guy on high alert. There was a time the pistols and projectiles/firecrackers themselves were difficult for my father to source, but now with the internet I don't think you'd have any trouble. Margo Supplies carries them as I'm sure others do as well.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

we got word this fall that one landowner in the middle of a drive is going to be selling his parcel. It’s only 40 acres but it will bring that drive to a halt.

Unless one of you buy it. OR like @seeth07 mentioned I would consider posting on here and maybe someone on here would like to buy it and still allow access.

 

[johnp]

I got some cash laying around...does the new landowner get an invite to the 2026 Gellar deer camp?

For sure you could be a stander on that drive !!!

 

[Gellar]

Drive 3 day 3:
Sometimes you just have to pull the trigger! One of the regular drivers opted to stand on this push and he put some deer down. One decent buck and 5 does.

 

[Gellar]

Do you guys use any poppers/bird bangers on your drives? I grew up in Ohio doing drives similar to you, but usually only about 4 drivers and 4-6 standers probably smaller areas or we didn't have it covered as well as you guys do. The bird banger was cutting edge that few folks knew of or used back then. Nothing like being on stand and hearing that first bang to put a guy on high alert. There was a time the pistols and projectiles/firecrackers themselves were difficult for my father to source, but now with the internet I don't think you'd have any trouble. Margo Supplies carries them as I'm sure others do as well.

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I’ve never heard of anyone using them before. Did you use them for communication like starting a drive or to try and move deer?

 

[Southern Elk]

I grew up hunting deer with dogs. This brings back memories, even if it’s not quite the same. I am enjoying following along.

 

[Sask hunter]

Looks like fun! Never done deer drives before

 

[Gellar]

Hopefully they are competent pulling the correct tissue. I had the pleasure of pitching my deer in the landfill this year due to an improper tissue sample taken by Fish and Game. Friend of mine killed a buck a mile away that was positive, this in a high cwd area.
Kinda felt like I had no choice.
A potential " not detected" result would still have been possible.

Where we hunt is about 1 mile as the crow flies from the original CWD positive in wild deer in Iowa. We have been testing all our eligible deer since 2013. The bio comes to the shed we hang them in and he takes samples. I usually can make it to the shed to assist but the same guy has been coming to our shed for 12 years so he knows the role.
In the 12 years I’m going to estimate we’ve had 250-300 deer tested and only three have been positive. None of them have had any symptoms. Over the years we have harvested some sick looking animals but they’ve never come back positive.

 

[Gellar]

I’ve never heard of anyone using them before. Did you use them for communication like starting a drive or to try and move deer?

I’ve never hunted deer with dogs but I would try it. I bet it would be a blast!

 

[Gellar]

I got some cash laying around...does the new landowner get an invite to the 2026 Gellar deer camp?

I’ll let you know when I see the details.

 

[Hem]

Where we hunt is about 1 mile as the crow flies from the original CWD positive in wild deer in Iowa. We have been testing all our eligible deer since 2013. The bio comes to the shed we hang them in and he takes samples. I usually can make it to the shed to assist but the same guy has been coming to our shed for 12 years so he knows the role.
In the 12 years I’m going to estimate we’ve had 250-300 deer tested and only three have been positive. None of them have had any symptoms. Over the years we have harvested some sick looking animals but they’ve never come back positive.

So the data collected for the vicinity i hunted this year indicates approximately 35-40% Positive cases for cwd of the deer submitted for sample. Pretty dang high.
My deer was healthy as a horse, but so was a friends deer that tested positive.