For most of us outdoors folks, we have all had the experience of finding a tick stuck in an area that is very private. Thats why I always try to get home and take a shower as soon as I can when I get out of the woods in the warm weather months. It’s also a good idea when you come in from deer hunting in the winter. Taking a shower will give you a chance to examine your body for any ticks and also cool you down. the summer months when squirrell season kicks off, it can get pretty hot before you get out of the woods and get your harvest cleaned.
Every time I come in from hunting, I try to get undressed in the garage. That way I don’t bring he smell of my hunting clothes inside where my wife will give me that look and also it don’t contaminate my hunting clothes with the nice smells that my wife has vaporized inside.
There is another little monster that we outdoorsmen have to fight when out in the woods. I sometimes thing that chiggers have the claws of a grizzle bear. If you have ever had a batch of chiggers get around your ankles or belt line, you know what I am talking about.
My grandpa used to say wear light colored clothing and put kerosene strips of cloth aorund your ankles and the chiggers wont bother your ankles. When I ked about your beltline or private parts, he just shook his head. By the way, he did this when picking blackberries not hunting.
I once had a cousin, (we won’t mention any names her donnie) who was out training his dogs to coon hunt. He was real bad to eat a big supper after coming in from the log woods and then he would take a short nap before dark. he then would gther up the dogs and head out. On one specific nigh he was training near an over grown field. Yep, that new dish that his daughter had made of mexican cornbread didn’t sit well with his stomach.
The pain hit him, now he is a country boy and dropping his overhauls never bothered him. He just said you boys walk on up there and I’ll be along in a minute. The boys heard grunting and groaning and finally ole donnie came walking up and said anybody go some water? Need to warsh my hands.
Everything was fine after that until about 3 am, and donnie got to scratching. He said boy I hope I didnt get into a patch of poison ivey back there.
The next day when he got into the woods cutting timber and sweating, he got to itching and scartching real good. That night when he got home and took a bath, he asked his wife to come look at his body. Let’s just say his private area was covered in chigger bites. He said what can I do? his wife said scratch’em. donnie said I can’t, I’m going to claw my self to death. His wife thought it was so funny. She just had to chime in and say we can put some fingernail polish on them, he said there’s too many. she then told him, don’t scrtch’em to much or you’ll get fingernail disease.
It took several days, but donnie finally got over the chigger attack and told the family never to make mexican cornbread again.
We don’t have to worry about scent when squirrel hunting, so you can use pretty much any repellant. but if you deer hunting in bow season, try to get the unscented version and remember, if you drop your overalls in the weeds, be prepared for the fight of your life