How do you deal with wildness?

Ants and spiders don't bother me but I'm extra careful when it comes to rattlesnakes. When I'm out hunting, I swing my bipod in front of me and hit rocks and bushes. I never walk through tall grass or weeds. From a distance, I must look like a blind person walking through the desert.

Mate, sounds like you need a cup of cement to harden up a bit, out here in Oz we have to deal with Brown snakes, Tiger snakes, Black snakes, Deaf Adders, if you are near the coast in QLD we have Taipans ( nasty buggers ) and all of these are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, then there is the Bull ants you don't want to get bitten by one of these, from personal experience it is PAINFUL, and spiders there is also a nasty collection of these,Redbacks, Mouse spiders, Funnelweb spiders ( if bitten by one of these your prospects are not good) plus a whole lot of other bugs and ticks that want to make life miserable for you but you can bet I love being out bush and getting away from civilization.

Boots, long pants, long sleeves, and "bug juice" (Permetherin, or at least deep woods Off!) and being alert. Blouse your pants so the buggers can't get under you pant legs, and try not to worry too much. Ants? I would suspect they won't come looking for trouble unless you park it right on top of their home. I have ticks, chiggers, hornets, snakes, and spiders (pine rattlers and black widows among them) in my area, but no ants that offer any more than a mild annoyance, so obviously I'm no expert. Most "wildness", at least snakes and spiders, really don't want anything to do with you, and when they're on the ground will usually just try to avoid you. I've received "the warning" from rattlers before, and just chose an alternate route (they're protected here, so I "can't" just shoot-em).

That's the benefit from living in the north. No biting or stinging insects who is deadly or gives you severe helth issues. Ok, we have the "huggorm", an adder with a mild venom, but you never consider that guy as a risk. 
A few weeks in the summer the mosquitos set in, but they are just annoying, and we welcome them really - on behalf of the trouts and so on....

Hum! First, buy a Honda Ridgeline, or some other comfortable, all wheel drive, vehicle. Then buy some sun screen, DEET, high-top boots, and a large-brimmed hat, and wear them all!

Don't forget the first aid kit, lots of pellets, and water. Always carry one beer to have AFTER all the hunting is done. 

Last thing? Come home happy!

maybe just quit sittin in the ant bed

Ticks are becoming a big problem around here. Just several years ago I never saw a single tick in the woods behind our house. Last spring I was up there cutting firewood when I noticed about 10 of those little nasty's on my pant legs. My brother in-law was up there over the summer & ended up with Lyme disease. You have to use plenty of spray & check yourself carefully. 

In the summer we have black fliys the will eat you to the bone and mosquitoes that will suck you dry but in the fall when hunting is allowed the cold gets all of them. During the fall and winter one needs to respect the weather because it can change fast and if you are not prepared to be out in the extremes, it will claim you. But that's just the way it is in Canada. I wouldn't drive on the highway without a winter survival kit.
Rob.

The ants are most likely what we call fire ants in the South. They are very aggressive and attack by the hundreds or thousands if you disturb their mound. Watch for the mounds and do not disturb them. The only way to avoid the "wildness" is to stay in town. The mosquitos are why I do not bow hunt. I just cannot sit motionless for hours in a tree stand being drained and covered with nickel to quarter sized welps. Be glad it is dry where you are so at least you are not covered in mosquitos. Im with Strikey mate, you are just going to have to toughen up a bit or do your shooting at an indoor range.

"Strikey"Mate, sounds like you need a cup of cement to harden up a bit, out here in Oz we have to deal with Brown snakes, Tiger snakes, Black snakes, Deaf Adders, if you are near the coast in QLD we have Taipans ( nasty buggers ) and all of these are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, then there is the Bull ants you don't want to get bitten by one of these, from personal experience it is PAINFUL, and spiders there is also a nasty collection of these,Redbacks, Mouse spiders, Funnelweb spiders ( if bitten by one of these your prospects are not good) plus a whole lot of other bugs and ticks that want to make life miserable for you but you can bet I love being out bush and getting away from civilization.

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Strikey,you forgot to mention drop bears and bunyips.

"Paulcat"

"Strikey"Mate, sounds like you need a cup of cement to harden up a bit, out here in Oz we have to deal with Brown snakes, Tiger snakes, Black snakes, Deaf Adders, if you are near the coast in QLD we have Taipans ( nasty buggers ) and all of these are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, then there is the Bull ants you don't want to get bitten by one of these, from personal experience it is PAINFUL, and spiders there is also a nasty collection of these,Redbacks, Mouse spiders, Funnelweb spiders ( if bitten by one of these your prospects are not good) plus a whole lot of other bugs and ticks that want to make life miserable for you but you can bet I love being out bush and getting away from civilization.

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Strikey,you forgot to mention drop bears and bunyips.

No dropbears here mate, the bunyips scared them off, lol, but if you are near the water a few hours north from here you have too be careful with those big lizards that want to eat you.

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Cut him slack on the ants. They're nasty and they're taking over the world!

http://www.radiolab.org/story/226523-ants/

"Strikey"

"Paulcat"

"Strikey"Mate, sounds like you need a cup of cement to harden up a bit, out here in Oz we have to deal with Brown snakes, Tiger snakes, Black snakes, Deaf Adders, if you are near the coast in QLD we have Taipans ( nasty buggers ) and all of these are some of the most venomous snakes in the world, then there is the Bull ants you don't want to get bitten by one of these, from personal experience it is PAINFUL, and spiders there is also a nasty collection of these,Redbacks, Mouse spiders, Funnelweb spiders ( if bitten by one of these your prospects are not good) plus a whole lot of other bugs and ticks that want to make life miserable for you but you can bet I love being out bush and getting away from civilization.

Click to expand...

Strikey,you forgot to mention drop bears and bunyips.

No dropbears here mate, the bunyips scared them off, lol, but if you are near the water a few hours north from here you have too be careful with those big lizards that want to eat you.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Dam right...I love hunting but was "lucky" enough to experience it from the perspective of the game....watched a croc come cruising upstream, it submerged some 50mtrs away, we beat a hasty retreat and watched from up the bank whilst it surfaced right next to where we were standing. They have even suggested getting guys to shoot them with air-rifles to try and put the fear of man back into them as they currently have no fear whatsoever.. Best way to stay safe out bush is long pants / sleeves, know where you are and whats likely to be around..The cane-toads have resulted in vastly reduced numbers of snakes, but you still see the occasional king-brown....

Fire ants, tics, chiggers, mosquitoes, copperheads, and rattlesnakes are the main things to watch for here. But, I got chased out of the woods by wasp last week. I use insect spray, sulphur dust on by boots and pants legs, and watch where I step, sit, or reach. Having a stick to poke around with and move vegetation around with is helpful. Oh, I forgot about poison ivy and poison oak. I am terribly allergic to that stuff.

David Enoch