kebo
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2006
- Messages
- 2,910
- Location
- Lexington, SC
- Tractor
- 2001 John Deere 790 4x4, bar tires
I've read the horror stories and heard them first hand from some folks I know, but this morning I got a first hand experience myself. I was bush hogging the property I deer hunt on, which has a gas line that runs through the middle of the property. I was cutting a section of it where I plan to put in a food plot in a few weeks. I got that part done, and then proceeded to cut a real small area that was just off to the side of the gasline, but where I can still see it from my stand. I'm planning to start a mineral lick there, and maybe start dumping some corn too (now legal in my game zone).
I made one pass through this area, then circled around for a second pass to finish it up. Just as I get back onto the gas line, I feel a stinging sensation on my right wrist and looked down to see a yellow jacket latched on to it, just at the cuff of my glove, so I reached over with the other hand flicked it off. Then, I noticed another one flying around me, then, another lands on my t-shirt on my chest. By now I'm starting to see LOTS more yellow jackets flying around the tractor!!! Holy crap, I then realize that I had just run over/into a yellow jacket nest!!!!
I was now out into the middle of the gasline and headed straight down it, but I kind of panicked here. With all the jackets flying around the tractor, I decide to get up and abandon ship because I was starting to feel some more stings. In my haste, I had the sense to at least pull the hand throttle all the way back, and I literally jumped off of it with it barely moving. Somehow the tractor stalled out on it's own, but by this time I was about 100 ft from it running like a madman swatting at every part of me, whether there was a jacket on me or not LOL!!!
After I was pretty sure I had gotten all of them off of me, I calmed back down. I counted four stings, one on the right wrist, one on the right shoulder blade, one just beside the left nipple, and one more on the right side of my waist, like right on the "love handle". That one HURT THE WORST. It welped up pretty good, as did the one on the right wrist, which still hurts too. The other two stings didn't get much venom in, so they didn't hurt much at all.
Anyway, after waiting 15 minutes or so, I was able to get close enough out of curiousity to see where they flying around the entrance to their nest in the ground. I then reclaimed my tractor as they had lost interest in it, and decided I was finished for the day. I guess with only four stings, I came out pretty fortunate because it could have been a lot worse!! So, now after operating tractors for about 20 years, I have my very own "horror story" lol.
I made one pass through this area, then circled around for a second pass to finish it up. Just as I get back onto the gas line, I feel a stinging sensation on my right wrist and looked down to see a yellow jacket latched on to it, just at the cuff of my glove, so I reached over with the other hand flicked it off. Then, I noticed another one flying around me, then, another lands on my t-shirt on my chest. By now I'm starting to see LOTS more yellow jackets flying around the tractor!!! Holy crap, I then realize that I had just run over/into a yellow jacket nest!!!!
I was now out into the middle of the gasline and headed straight down it, but I kind of panicked here. With all the jackets flying around the tractor, I decide to get up and abandon ship because I was starting to feel some more stings. In my haste, I had the sense to at least pull the hand throttle all the way back, and I literally jumped off of it with it barely moving. Somehow the tractor stalled out on it's own, but by this time I was about 100 ft from it running like a madman swatting at every part of me, whether there was a jacket on me or not LOL!!!
After I was pretty sure I had gotten all of them off of me, I calmed back down. I counted four stings, one on the right wrist, one on the right shoulder blade, one just beside the left nipple, and one more on the right side of my waist, like right on the "love handle". That one HURT THE WORST. It welped up pretty good, as did the one on the right wrist, which still hurts too. The other two stings didn't get much venom in, so they didn't hurt much at all.
Anyway, after waiting 15 minutes or so, I was able to get close enough out of curiousity to see where they flying around the entrance to their nest in the ground. I then reclaimed my tractor as they had lost interest in it, and decided I was finished for the day. I guess with only four stings, I came out pretty fortunate because it could have been a lot worse!! So, now after operating tractors for about 20 years, I have my very own "horror story" lol.