BSFS is
affiliated with

TEMS

  __________________
  Webmaster:
Celeste Prussia
_________________

• Who can use BSFS
• Primitive condition of facilities
• Equipment
• Guidelines
• Safety precautions

• Hot weather
• Ticks and chiggers
• Snakebites

Hot weather  Summers in the Ozarks region often reach very warm temperatures.  To prevent illness, try to do most activities during cooler times of the day and drink plenty of water.  

• Heat exhaustion Overexposure to high temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion, so it is important to be able to identify its symptoms of and know how to treat it.  Untreated heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.
  • Symptoms  Headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, actively sweating, skin cool & pale, fainting, temperature over 102º F.
  • Treatment  Move to a shady place or air-conditioned room, drink water, use cold wet towels or fan.  If body temperature doesn’t go down, seek medical treatment, which may include IV fluids.
• Heat stroke is a medical emergency caused by the failure of the heat-regulating mechanism of the body, due to high heat and humidity.
  • Symptoms  Headache, flushed skin, dry skin, warm skin, rapid, bounding pulse, incoherent speech, disorientation, confusion, aggressiveness, possible unconsciousness, and temperature over 105º F.
  • Treatment  Immediate action is necessary.  Remove most clothes, apply cool, wet towels, and transport immediately to a hospital emergency room.

Ticks and chiggers can sometimes be abundant at the Drury-Mincy Conservation Area, particularly during the months of July to September.  Ticks can carry several diseases, including Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  Details on these diseases are availble through the following websites: for Lyme Disease go to http://www.lyme.org/, and for Rock Mountain Spotted Fever use http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rmsf/.  The following prevention methods should be employed to reduce tick bite exposure:

• Wear light colored clothing  This helps you easily see any ticks that may be on your clothing.
• Tuck in pant leg bottoms into socks and place tape around leg on outside of socks to help hold pant leg bottoms inside the socks.  This helps prevent the ticks from crawling up the inside of your pants.
• Tuck shirt into pants  This helps prevent ticks from crawling up the inside of your shirt.
• Using duct tape that has been folded in half lengthwise (sticky side out), place a section around pant leg about half way up above the knee.  This helps prevent ticks from crawling up the outside of the pants.
• Insect repellent seems to have little effect on ticks, but it does significantly reduce chigger bites.
• Check for ticks when you return from the field to remove any ticks that may be attached. Special areas include around the ankles, the waistline, and other areas where the clothing contained elastic.  Also have someone check the back of the neck at the hairline.

Snakebites  Four of Missouri's five venomous snakes occur at the Drury and Mincy Conservation Areas. These snakes are known as pit vipers, named for the heat-sensitive pit organ located about midway between the eye and the nostril on each side of the head. Although pit organs and other small features will distinguish venomous and non-venomous Missouri snakes, their verification requires a potentially hazardous close inspection of the animal. Becoming familiar with the general appearance and habits of these snakes is a safer identification alternative.  The copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) is the most abundant venomous snake in the Ozarks and may be encountered in most habitats. Timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) prefer mature forest and have been observed on the Mincy Area. Pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) inhabit glades, oak savannas, and open woodlands. Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) have been observed in association with Bee Creek on the Mincy Area.

Contrary to popular belief, most snakes are not particularly aggressive and only bite defensively when disturbed. Fortunately, snakebite mortality in the United States is relatively trivial (1,000 - 2,000 annual venomous bites resulting in fewer than 10 deaths).  However, a venomous snakebite is a potentially serious health threat that can result in a painful experience or, occasionally, even permanent disfigurement. The majority of venomous snakebites result from avoidable circumstances such as accidental contact with snakes that people failed to notice and accidents associated with deliberate handling of snakes.

• Prevention
  • When visiting areas where venomous snakes live, watch where you step and carefully inspect objects that might conceal a snake (rocks, logs, etc.) before moving them. Most accidental bites occur on the hands, feet, and lower legs when snakes are unintentionally stepped on or touched.
  • Never handle live or dead venomous snakes. A large proportion of venomous snakebites in the United States are illegitimate (bites that occur due to intentional handling of snakes). Even recently killed snakes with intact muscle reflexes have been responsible for bites. Also avoid handling any unidentified snakes.
  • Learn to recognize the venomous snakes that occur in the area where you intend to be. Besides knowing which snakes to avoid, identification may also be important for treatment in case a bite does occur.
  • Always use a flashlight after dark. This is good advice for general safety but is particularly important in the summer when most venomous snakes are active at night.
• Snake bite treatment  If involved in a snakebite accident, the following measures should be taken:
  • Identify the snake if possible but take precautions to avoid having any one else bitten.  Treatment of the bite will not specifically require snake identification but may aid medical personnel in evaluating symptoms.
  • Remain calm  Unnecessary anxiety enhances the spread of venom and promotes shock.
  • Look for symptoms of envenomation, including swelling, pain, and discoloration in the area of the bite.
  • Remove any jewelry, watches, or tight clothing close to the bite before the onset of swelling and wash the bitten area.
  • Apply the "Extractor" venom extraction device, if available, within the first 5 minutes of being bitten and continued until reaching medical assistance.
  • Minimize movement and immobilize the bitten extremity if possible. This will decrease the spread of venom.
  • Call 911 if a phone is available. Transport the victim to a medical facility. Do what is necessary to accomplish this without delay, even if the victim must actively participate - evacuation to a medical facility takes priority over reducing movement.
• Treatments to Avoid  Additional first-aid measures are not recommended.  Specifically, the following should always be avoided.
  • Incision of the bite. Cutting tissue enhances the spread of the venom rather than helping to remove it. Use only the "Extractor" venom extraction apparatus if available. This device may remove some venom without requiring any incision.
  • Cryotherapy. Chilling the bitten extremity will cause the venom to concentrate. Because many pit viper venoms have tissue destructive properties, venom concentration may promote necrosis of the bite area.
  • The use of a tourniquet. An improperly applied tourniquet can impede circulation in the main blood vessels, potentially leading to the need for amputation.
  • Consumption of alcohol and aspirin. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases the spread of venom. Aspirin thins the blood, potentially exacerbating the anticoagulant properties of some venoms and causing increased hemorrhaging. Non-aspirin analgesics may be used to manage discomfort.
  • Electric shock Electroshock therapy has been demonstrated to be worthless in the neutralization of venom and may cause additional injuries.
  • Pressure immobilization techniques. Restricting the spread of venom with tightly applied elastic bandages is recommended for neurotoxic snake venoms with minimal tissue destructive properties. However, this technique is generally not recommended for pit viper bites.