Dangers of geocaching in the south

As the weather begins to warm up and temperature begins to rise, we all know that spring is almost over and summer is just ahead. This also an indication that everything is coming out of their winter slumber.

Past couple weeks I have been to several geocaching locations only to see the potential hazards of this hobby. Yes everything comes with a risk and being outside offers so many dangers when we are outside of nice trimmed yards. The great places that these geocaches are hiding in also make great homes for very vicious critters.

One cache was within a pile of bricks laying on the ground. Now the clever hide would be just under a top brick revealing a cavity between more underneath. Well black widow spiders and snakes also find that cavity would make a great home. Another cache was inside a an abandoned oil well location inside the electrical service box. The power lines have been removed and was clearly marked that no live wires was running to it. The hazard wasn't the idea of being shocked but being stung, inside this service box and family of red wasps had taken up homestead and didn't like the idea of being disturbed.

For those caches that are off the beaten path in the now thick undergrowth of a young forest, there is always the potential of picking up a few hungry hitch hikers. Last year the ticks down here were horrible, just walking around in the yard was a hazard of picking up at least a dozen ticks. These little guys are just sitting waiting for you to walk by and brush up against that small tree as you are marching on in towards the cache. If you do find yourself with the tiny blood suckers removing as soon as you find them, hopefully you found them before they get a chance to latch on.

During the warm part of the year down here in Arkansas there are several extra precautions that one must take to be careful around wildlife. As for me I believe my geocaching season is over until mid November. I will still probably do some urban caches and a few park and grabs that don't require poking my hand in somewhere that something else could have made a home out of.