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My fix for Poison Ivy.

hickslawns

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Ohio
Yep. I know how miserable it is. I was glad to see her recover quickly. I always hesitated to spend the money on it for myself. I will spend the money to make the wife quit complaining though. lol
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
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Appalachia
Jim, my wife probably hates this fact, but you have re-lit a fire in me with this thread. I went to Hocking from 90-92. They do a wonderful job of teaching their students most everything that grows in Ohio, and their uses. I really enjoyed learning these things, and it changed the way I walked through a woods for several years. I couldn't simply stroll through a woods and enjoy a blur of green, I had to know what every plant was! I've gotten away from that. Your thread has caused me to get myself back out actually looking at what is around!

My wife is about to kill me. I've plenty of chores I need to get done, but have opted to spend most of the day out looking "at weeds". I've been looking for one in particular, and finally found the dang thing. I don't ever remember it being difficult to find, but I sure had a heck of a time finding it today.... Yarrow. One of the landowners I hunt on is a naturalist, a genuine hippie, that gets excited by finding wild plants. I had to call him to let him know I finally found that dang yarrow. He and I will be taking a few walks once he finishes up planting the last of his beans. I am really looking forward to doing it, as I don't trust plant identification and consumption to my books. BTW, did you know mugwort can be smoked to lead to a vision quest? :)

Anyway, thanks for getting my mind back where it should have always been. Life gets in the way of truly enjoying what's around us sometimes.

No shit?!? You da man Brock!!! :smiley_clap:
 

hickslawns

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39,721
248
Ohio
I hate to post anything. I just don't want to jinx myself. lol

So far this summer I have been fortunate. I KNOW I have been in some poison ivy. EACH and every time I am in it or around it I have gone home, taken a cool shower and washed with Dawn dish soap. I am as anal about my poison ivy damage control as I am about scent control while hunting. Every time I take my boots on or off (if they have been close to it) I will wash my hands after. If I handle ANY dirty laundry I immediately head to the bathroom to wash my hands. It is almost to the point of OCD. However. . . .outside of a few dots here and there, I have not gotten a "bad" case this year. Is it the Dawn shower? Is it the excessive hand washing? I don't know, but it has been effective this summer. Hope this helps someone.
 

jeremy44230

Senior Member
2,370
76
Medina County
I wash right after I am in or around it TOO! I get it way too bad to mess around and not try to avoid it! I really think the immediate showers make a huge difference, at least for me.
 

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
I got into it bad again last Thursday while helping diablo put in a plot. I mean from the shoulders to the fingers. And in between my fingers. I tried everything from preparation h to the bleach cure. Nothing seemed to help tho. I mean it's been almost a week with hardly any change. I had to end up going to the doctor and getting some steroids and other meds. but anyhow, I wish I would've remembered his thread because I would have tried this. Also like jb said, the Zanfel works amazingly. I just had high hopes that the other things would work. From now on its my go to cure.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Sorry to hear it Moundhill. That is NOT fun. Two years ago I got it bad while cleaning up a property we just took over. It hadn't been maintained in decades and my buddy and I were mowing and prepping it for the hunting season. Sweaty and running my flail mower on the tractor was a bad combination. Even though I was wearing long sleaves and took a shower as soon as I got home, it wasn't enough. Some guys have sleaves of tattoos. I had two sleaves of poison ivy. I was friggin' miserable. I got the shot and all but it didn't matter. Bad part is I react to the shots. It didn't matter. I told the Doc to give it to me anyway. Reaction isn't as bad as the poison ivy was.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
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NE Ohio
Sorry to hear about Moundhill.
Its never to late to try it. Check out the seed pods! If you can find any big ones, pick em and check out the seed pod! They are really cool.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I hate to post anything. I just don't want to jinx myself. lol

So far this summer I have been fortunate. I KNOW I have been in some poison ivy. EACH and every time I am in it or around it I have gone home, taken a cool shower and washed with Dawn dish soap. I am as anal about my poison ivy damage control as I am about scent control while hunting. Every time I take my boots on or off (if they have been close to it) I will wash my hands after. If I handle ANY dirty laundry I immediately head to the bathroom to wash my hands. It is almost to the point of OCD. However. . . .outside of a few dots here and there, I have not gotten a "bad" case this year. Is it the Dawn shower? Is it the excessive hand washing? I don't know, but it has been effective this summer. Hope this helps someone.

Same here, Phil. I've gotten into the stuff really bad a few times this summer... so bad that I thought for sure my body was going to get raped by a poison ivy reaction... But I took your advice and did the ice cold shower with Dawn and surprisingly I never had a reaction! I really think there's something to that shower. Normally all I have to do is look at poison ivy and I get it, but this summer has been different... thankfully.

I got into it bad again last Thursday while helping diablo put in a plot. I mean from the shoulders to the fingers. And in between my fingers. I tried everything from preparation h to the bleach cure. Nothing seemed to help tho. I mean it's been almost a week with hardly any change. I had to end up going to the doctor and getting some steroids and other meds. but anyhow, I wish I would've remembered his thread because I would have tried this. Also like jb said, the Zanfel works amazingly. I just had high hopes that the other things would work. From now on its my go to cure.

Damn that sucks, Moundy. Getting it between the fingers is fuggin torture. Glad to hear the Zanfel worked for you, though... That stuff truly is amazing.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Same here, Phil. I've gotten into the stuff really bad a few times this summer... so bad that I thought for sure my body was going to get raped by a poison ivy reaction... But I took your advice and did the ice cold shower with Dawn and surprisingly I never had a reaction! I really think there's something to that shower. Normally all I have to do is look at poison ivy and I get it, but this summer has been different... thankfully..

I really think so too. Maybe not, but it sure seems to help. If nothing else, we are mentally winning the battle. lmao
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
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SW Ohio
That Zanfel is good info as my wife and son and couple grandskids it's serious when they get it. The best solution on my frarm is to stay on the road and off the property. I must have 100,000 poison ivy plants on it along with 100,000 honeysuckle bushes.
Now for myself and oldest grandson I don't get poison ivy. But my doctor to be careful because if my immune system ever stops my protection it going to be serious.
Now on another subject anyone have a solution for Japanese Honeysuckle as it's a mess down here in SW Ohio? Almost Every square foot of my farm that the cattle can't pasture is covered. I spent last weekend cutting brush along a fenceline so I can change pastures for the cattle. It's a jungle.
I got one more 500 ft fenceline to do then be done for couple years.
Frank
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
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Ohio
That Zanfel is good info as my wife and son and couple grandskids it's serious when they get it. The best solution on my frarm is to stay on the road and off the property. I must have 100,000 poison ivy plants on it along with 100,000 honeysuckle bushes.
Now for myself and oldest grandson I don't get poison ivy. But my doctor to be careful because if my immune system ever stops my protection it going to be serious.
Now on another subject anyone have a solution for Japanese Honeysuckle as it's a mess down here in SW Ohio? Almost Every square foot of my farm that the cattle can't pasture is covered. I spent last weekend cutting brush along a fenceline so I can change pastures for the cattle. It's a jungle.
I got one more 500 ft fenceline to do then be done for couple years.
Frank

That is going to be difficult to control/remove. They don't classify honeysuckle as an invasive for no reason. Probably the most effective way to get rid of it will be to physically cut it down and spray the exposed stumps with a woody veg killer, like Tordon RTU. This is a buttload of work and extremely time-consuming. If the honeysuckle is small enough you can hit it with a brush hog, but you'll need a saw for the bigger stuff.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
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Appalachia
I am in the same shape right now Jake. I have it as bad as I've ever had it thanks to cleaning vines off the tiller with bare hands.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1345727308.613427.jpg
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
That is going to be difficult to control/remove. They don't classify honeysuckle as an invasive for no reason. Probably the most effective way to get rid of it will be to physically cut it down and spray the exposed stumps with a woody veg killer, like Tordon RTU. This is a buttload of work and extremely time-consuming. If the honeysuckle is small enough you can hit it with a brush hog, but you'll need a saw for the bigger stuff.

I have been fighting it for 21 yrs. If it's small and the ground is dry you can pull it out as it has a very shallow root system. There is actually a long handled honeysuckle puller built here in Ohio somewhere. I either pull the small stuff or cut it but it's hard on chainsaw blades as it's so close to the ground. When I have help I use my tractor and pull some of the bigger bushes out with the tractor and chain. The cattle love the leaves.
Frank
 

jagermeister

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18,060
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Ohio
I am in the same shape right now Jake. I have it as bad as I've ever had it thanks to cleaning vines off the tiller with bare hands.

View attachment 8898

Damn bro, that looks frickin terrible! Get yourself some Zanfel asap!

I have been fighting it for 21 yrs. If it's small and the ground is dry you can pull it out as it has a very shallow root system. There is actually a long handled honeysuckle puller built here in Ohio somewhere. I either pull the small stuff or cut it but it's hard on chainsaw blades as it's so close to the ground. When I have help I use my tractor and pull some of the bigger bushes out with the tractor and chain. The cattle love the leaves.
Frank

I agree... cutting anything that close to the ground is hard on a chainsaw. What works really well is a circular saw blade on the end of a heavy duty weed-whacker. Oh, and a D3 dozer works pretty good for honeysuckle, too. lmao
 

brock ratcliff

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Damn bro, that looks frickin terrible! Get yourself some Zanfel asap!



I agree... cutting anything that close to the ground is hard on a chainsaw. What works really well is a circular saw blade on the end of a heavy duty weed-whacker. Oh, and a D3 dozer works pretty good for honeysuckle, too. lmao

That's what I use... a Stihl, and it is scary how fast that thing will clear a woods! Scares me to death when Mason comes sneaking up behind me. You gotta be careful with those things, you could take a kid's leg off without slowing it down.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Damn bro, that looks frickin terrible! Get yourself some Zanfel asap!



I agree... cutting anything that close to the ground is hard on a chainsaw. What works really well is a circular saw blade on the end of a heavy duty weed-whacker. Oh, and a D3 dozer works pretty good for honeysuckle, too. lmao

I have a Stihl weed wacker with the saw blade for 26 yrs now. But poor design of it is the gas pickup tube in the gas tank keeps melting. Stupited damn design I ever seen. I have to repait again.
Frank
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
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Appalachia
I have the saw on my Stihl and it's a bad ass combo...

Getting a course of steroids and the steroid creme for my poison. Sure hope it works!