Tips & Tactics

Itching to Scout?

Itching to Scout?

By Tim H. Martin

If you’re like me, you’ve been missing the deer woods for several months and you’re itching to do some pre-season scouting.

This time of year, that itch might turn into another kind of itch if you don’t take a few precautions.

Venturing into the field during the heat of summer means bringing unwanted visitors home: chiggers (redbugs) and ticks. It also means unavoidable contact with poison ivy, poison oak and stinging nettle, among other bad things.

Over the years, I’ve learned valuable tips — often the hard way — for scouting without scratching.

Many summers ago, while building a deer stand in an old hardwood, I got too complacent with poison ivy vines growing on the trunk.

With no gloves, and wearing only a short-sleeved tee shirt, I brushed against the leaves with bare arms and hands. Three days later, my doc treated me for an epic case of poison ivy I’d not soon forget.

Even if it’s 100 degrees, you’ll never again catch me scouting or hanging stands without a long-sleeved shirt and gloves. I also wear jeans or brush-buster quail hunting pants. The protection against poisonous plants, briars and spider bites outweighs the discomfort of being hot.

Ticks and chiggers are another reason to wear long-sleeved shirts and britches. I spray mosquito and tick repellant around my ankles to keep them from clinging to my boots and socks. Thick jeans and boots are also one more barrier between a snake’s fangs and your skin. Wear snake-proof boots if you have them.

When you get home, put your clothes directly into the washing machine to prevent ticks from venturing into your house. Once, a tick I’d brought inside from a scouting trip bit my toddling daughter — another lesson learned the hard way.

One more very important tip will save you from itching IF you don’t wait too long after getting home: shower immediately!

It takes chiggers and ticks a while to embed into your skin, so get in to the habit of showering as soon as you’ve put your clothes in the washer. The longer you wait, the deeper they go — lather and scrub hard.

Take the lessons I’ve learned the hard way to prevent the wrong kinds of itch. These tips could also keep you or your loved ones out of the doctor’s office.

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd