June 26, 2022

"Before he goes out to hunt, Brian Leydet pulls on his hiking boots and his all-white jumpsuit, fetches a homemade flannel flag..."

"... out of his car and then, most importantly, duct-tapes his socks to his pant legs. Then he heads into the undergrowth, dragging his flag around like a morose matador.... Mr. Leydet’s quarry is quick to attach to the white flannel, using its tiny hooks on their legs to grab hold....."

16 comments:

Kate said...

Is the flag a morose matador? I know what the writer means, but that phrase looks wrong.

Also, ticks. *shudder*

Joe Smith said...

'Human' and 'Climate' capitalized? Weird.

Did they work 'White Supremacy' into the story?

How about 'Saving our Democracy'?

By gathering ticks (who, like politicians are blood-suckers), will democracy be restored?

These things, along with trans rights, are the only things that really matter...

Will Cate said...

Arachnids post #17, according to my browser

Owen said...

When in doubt, diagnose Lyme disease. So many unknowns in the causal chain, who knows? You might be right.

BTW, a bite from a dog tick (not deer tick) is no fun at all. Use your bug spray, wrap your socks tight to your trousers, and shower thoroughly before bed.

Lurker21 said...

"All-white jumpsuit"?

Can "Elvis Presley, Tick Hunter" be in our future?

Mary Beth said...

I hate ticks, but the lone star tick makes me want to stay inside until the first freeze.

I don't stay inside, but if I get bitten and become allergic to meat, I'll wish that I had.

rhhardin said...

Just keep free-range chickens. They eat ticks.

gilbar said...

the World is Falling Apart! and it's ALL DUE to HUMAN CLIMATE CHANGE!!
i *KNOW* this, because a day doesn't go by; without an article about Terrible Human Climate Change!
The Powers that be, have Required ALL trout articles to mention Human Climate Change..
So, you'll be reading about the Great Fishing in XXXXX* stream.. That didn't even HAVE fish 20 years ago. And then the writer will mention The TERRIBLE Trials and Tribulations the stream is suffering from Human Climate Change...
And then you'll think; But THIS article is about how GREAT the fishing is now? What the?

XXXXX* this months stream was the Big Gunpowder Falls river, in Maryland. That's Right, MARYLAND! Human Climate Change is SO TERRIBLE, that there is Great trout fishing in MARYLAND now

heyboom said...

Climate change, what can't it do?

madAsHell said...


From "Tick Hunting: The Prey Are Tiny, and the Bait Is Human Climate change and other factors have brought several new species of ticks, and frightening new diseases, to New York in recent years"

Searching for relevance.

farmgirl said...

It’s my understanding Guinea hens are phenomenal tick hunters. Very loud, though.

Ann Althouse said...

"Arachnids post #17, according to my browser."

I don't know what that refers to but this is my 62nd post with the tag "arachnid."

Including ""I've mostly stopped reading Ann Althouse, really."

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Just keep free-range chickens.

We considered this until our game camera showed the local free-range coyotes carrying off baby raccoons. They’d love some chicken I’m certain.

Owen said...

Farmgirl @ 8:24: “…Guinea hens..”. We tried that. The hens were called “the farmer’s burglar alarm” for a reason: very noisy. And stupid. Coyotes picked off most of ours and the survivors drifted over to join a neighbor’s flock. We never noticed a difference in the tick population.

tim in vermont said...

"climate change..." lol.

I bet that there weren't that many ticks in New York State when the land was covered by glaciers, not so long ago.

loudogblog said...

Monty Python had a skit about big game hunters who actually hunted insects.