The Mansfield Tigers kicked off their week with a 6-1 win over the Mountainburg Dragons on Monday, April 12. After seven innings, the Tigers walked away with their 11th victory of the season upgrading their total record to 11-5. Mansfield controlled the game all the way to the top of the seventh inning when the Dragons scooped up a run. Until then though, it was nothing but red for as far as the eye could see. Nathan Brewer got the Tigers on the board in the first inning when Fisher Willsey grounded into fielder’s choice. With zero action from Mountainburg or Mansfield in the second inning, the Tigers earned three runs in the third.
Coaches Robinson, Jordan Martin, and Daniel Martin with the Tigers
Aaron Brewer scored when Braxton Byers singled on a ground ball to left field. Next, Willsey and Byers both landed home when Drew Elmore singled on a ground ball to center field. The fourth inning saw Randy Claude being the home plate bandit as he earned an explosive steal setting the score to 5-0. The Tigers earned one final run in the fifth inning when courtesy runner, Trenton Leroy subbed in for Cody Fudge. Trey Vaughan doubled on a line drive to right field allowing Leroy to fly home. Pitcher Zayne Dugan held the Dragons with 96 pitches to 28 batters faced, and 63 total strikes. On the season so far, Dugan sits with 20 innings under his belt. He has earned 27 strikeouts, faced 81 batters, and made 306 pitches.
#8 Trey Vaughan
“Zayne only had a few mistakes and the defense played well enough to give us a chance to win,” stated Coach Layton Robinson. “Along with Zayne pitching a good game, everyone in the starting lineup recorded a hit and we did some good things on the base paths. We had a better approach at the plate against Mountainburg this time around and knew what we were looking for when we stepped in the box.” The next varsity game for the Tigers will be the Acorn Tigers on Thursday, April 15. “We don’t really worry about who the next opponent is,” continued Robinson. “We’re just focused on playing the best game we can and being better than the day before. With that being said, Acorn is coming off a big win over Lavaca so it will be important for us to play well.”
Pictured is Kiara Thomas, Natalie Allison, and Kynslee Ward
Things were over for the Mountainburg Lady Dragons before they could even get things started. On Monday, April 12, the Mansfield Lady Tigers hosted the Lady Dragons to a softball game to remember. The Lady Tigers barely had time to get their outfits dirty before nearly crushing the Lady Dragons 16-1 in just three short innings sending Mountainburg home not only wearing blue but feeling blue as well. This outcome was felt by the Lady Dragons once before at the beginning of the season when Mansfield shut out Mountainburg with a final score of 17-0.
Mountainburg opened up the top of the first inning earning their lone point and only lead of the evening. What would follow was a storm of red furry. Brooklyn Adams got the ball rolling for the Lady Tigers as she scored on a Chloe Creekmore walk. Next, Kiara Thomas reaped a run on a passed ball sending Alyson Edwards to third and Creekmore to second. Edwards then scored on a wild pitch. Creekmore picked up a run from a wild pitch also while Hailey Walker singled on a line drive to Mountainburg’s pitcher. The first inning was closed out when Walker scored on a passed ball and Skylynn Harris earned her one run of the night sending the score to 6-1 Mansfield.
For the bottom of the second inning, four Lady Tigers upgraded the win column. Edwards collected a score on a passed ball along with Creekmore and Natalie Allison. Then, Serenity Brunson flew out to center field allowing Walker to reach home after tagging up. To close out the game, Adams captured a run on a passed ball. Creekmore singled on a ground ball to center field sending Thomas home and Edwards to score on a throw. Alexis Chestine scored on a passed ball. And Allison netted a run on a throw after Walker singled on a hard ground ball to center field before ending things with a final run home on a passed ball.
Chloe Creekmore summed up her night with 3 RBI while Hailey Walker and Serenity Brunson had 1 RBI each. With a total of 9 PO’s, Creekmore also led in that department with 6 followed by Allison with 2 and Thomas with 1. And making good work on the pitcher’s mound was Alyson Edwards who catapulted 34 pitches to 11 batters striking out 6. Next on the agenda for the Lady Tigers are the Acorn Lady Tigers on the road on Thursday, April 15.
Joshua Drew Mourton, 38, of Greenwood went to be with our Lord and Savior on April 7, 2021. He was born on April 27, 1982, in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Steve and Denise Mourton. Josh grew up in Waldron, Arkansas with his sister, Mandy Foster. He graduated from Waldron High School, class of 2000. He attended Westark College and SAU. He received his Associates of Professional Studies in May 2015.
He started his law enforcement career as a jailer/dispatcher for the Scott County Sheriff Department in 2001. He eventually became a deputy in 2004. Then in 2012, he started with the Greenwood Police Department as a patrolman. He became an investigator and school resource officer in 2016 for the Greenwood Schools.
Josh married the love of his life, Ashley (Holcomb) Mourton in June 2005. They celebrated almost 16 years of marriage together. Josh and Ashley enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing ball and just doing life together. They had two amazing sons, Griffin and Coltyn Mourton. Josh adored his two boys and loved to tell others about them. Josh had a heart of service and cared deeply for the community that he served as a law enforcement officer. Josh was what most called a gentle giant. He was a true friend, would help anyone out that he could and never complained.
Josh was a member of Home Church Chaffee Crossing and knew he was going to be walking the streets of gold with our Lord. Josh was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Jim and Melba Mourton and grandfather, Kenneth Edmoundson.
He is survived by his wife, Ashley Mourton and two sons, Griffin and Coltyn Mourton of the home; his parents, Steve and Denise of Waldron; his sister, Mandy Foster and husband, Jon of Hackett; grandmother, JoAnne Edmoundson; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Roger and Jana Holcomb of Parks; sister-in-law, Brittanie Alley and husband, Dean of Mississippi; brother-in-law, Brandon Holcomb and wife, Cindy of Waldron; brother-in-law, Camdon of Parks; nieces and nephews, Shayla and Hayden Foster, Elizabeth, Anna, Jessilyn and Jacob Alley and Brayden Holcomb; along with aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends.
Josh’s visitation will be Monday, April 12, at McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood from 1 – 7 p.m., where the family will visit with friends from 5 – 7 p.m. His celebration of life service will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 13, at the H.B. Stewart Bulldog Arena with burial at Clarks Chapel Cemetery in Dayton.
Pallbearers will be Shawn Ridenhour, Blake Wright, Camdon Holcomb, Brandon Holcomb, Hayden Foster, Jimmy Russell, William Dawson and Joey Deer. Honorary pallbearers are Coltyn Mourton, Griffin Mourton, and Law Enforcement Family.
Joshua Drew Mourton, 38, of Greenwood went to be with our Lord and Savior on April 7, 2021. He was born on April 27, 1982, in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Steve and Denise Mourton. Josh grew up in Waldron, Arkansas with his sister, Mandy Foster. He graduated from Waldron High School, class of 2000. He attended Westark College and SAU. He received his Associates of Professional Studies in May 2015.
He started his law enforcement career as a jailer/dispatcher for the Scott County Sheriff Department in 2001. He eventually became a deputy in 2004. Then in 2012, he started with the Greenwood Police Department as a patrolman. He became an investigator and school resource officer in 2016 for the Greenwood Schools.
Josh married the love of his life, Ashley (Holcomb) Mourton in June 2005. They celebrated almost 16 years of marriage together. Josh and Ashley enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing ball and just doing life together. They had two amazing sons, Griffin and Coltyn Mourton. Josh adored his two boys and loved to tell others about them. Josh had a heart of service and cared deeply for the community that he served as a law enforcement officer. Josh was what most called a gentle giant. He was a true friend, would help anyone out that he could and never complained.
Josh was a member of Home Church Chaffee Crossing and knew he was going to be walking the streets of gold with our Lord. Josh was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Jim and Melba Mourton and grandfather, Kenneth Edmoundson.
He is survived by his wife, Ashley Mourton and two sons, Griffin and Coltyn Mourton of the home; his parents, Steve and Denise of Waldron; his sister, Mandy Foster and husband, Jon of Hackett; grandmother, JoAnne Edmoundson; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Roger and Jana Holcomb of Parks; sister-in-law, Brittanie Alley and husband, Dean of Mississippi; brother-in-law, Brandon Holcomb and wife, Cindy of Waldron; brother-in-law, Camdon of Parks; nieces and nephews, Shayla and Hayden Foster, Elizabeth, Anna, Jessilyn and Jacob Alley and Brayden Holcomb; along with aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends.
Josh’s visitation will be Monday, April 12, at McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood from 1 – 7 p.m., where the family will visit with friends from 5 – 7 p.m. His celebration of life service will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 13, at the H.B. Stewart Bulldog Arena with burial at Clarks Chapel Cemetery in Dayton.
Pallbearers will be Shawn Ridenhour, Blake Wright, Camdon Holcomb, Brandon Holcomb, Hayden Foster, Jimmy Russell, William Dawson and Joey Deer. Honorary pallbearers are Coltyn Mourton, Griffin Mourton, and Law Enforcement Family.
It was a busy week for the Hackett track teams as they hit the road south to try their hand (er foot) in some track and field competitions. On Tuesday, April 6, the Jr High squads landed at the Waldron Jr Bulldog Relays with almost 30 other schools big and small. Although both Hackett’s Jr and Sr rosters combined to make up one team from some of the other schools, the Hornets and Lady Hornets made it hard to tell. Where Hackett lacked in numbers they more than made up for in the way they ribboned. On Thursday night, it was the Sr High’s turn and this time there were more than 30 teams who hit the track running in the Gaile Hainley Relays. The seniors took home nine Top 8 ribbons when all was said and done.
Final Jr Girls Results:
200 METER DASH 30.78 Alexandra Bunch 6th 34.30 Jessie Mendenhall 18th
400 METER DASH 1:25.46 Laitlyn Holbert 21st 1:28.67 Kinley James 22nd
800 METER RUN 3:49.97 Brookly Fraize 18th
4X100 METER RELAY 59.60 Relay Team 6th
4X200 YARD RELAY 2:24.37 Relay Team 9th
HIGH JUMP 4-4 Alexandra Bunch 8th
LONG JUMP 10-2 Kinley James 24th
Final Jr Boys Results:
100 METER DASH 12.99 Brycen Hamilton 7th 13.02 Dawsyn Clay 8th
200 METER DASH 31.19 Aaron Carter 30th
400 METER DASH 1:16.43 Matthew Garner 38th 1:17.27 Evan Gordon 39th
By Mary Hightower U of A System Division of Agriculture
It’s springtime, and parents’ thoughts naturally turn to finding summer camps for the kids. The Arkansas 4-H Youth Development program is ready to help with a variety of award-winning day and overnight camps, with registration now open.
4-H offers camps for youth ages 5 to 19. In-person camps are held at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale, about 18 miles west of downtown Little Rock. The center is comprised of 228 wooded acres in the eastern Ouachita Mountains, includes air-conditioned and heated lodging, a lake for canoeing and fishing, a swimming pool and prepared meals with breakfast and salad bar.
“We are excited to be able to offer camps this summer. This year’s sessions may look different to past campers, but this so that we are able to host camps and follow COVID guidelines,” said Creenna Bocksnick, camping coordinator for the Arkansas 4-H program. “Camps serve a vital role in the lives of our youth. Camps are where youth can build relationships with their peers, develop leadership skills, and demonstrate responsibility all wrapped up in a fun, engaging experience.”
Day camp participants don’t have to be 4-H members. Overnight camp participants must be 4-H members. There is no cost to join. Contact your county extension office or find registration and other general information about 4-H https://4h.uaex.edu/youth/camps/.
June 7-30: Arkansas Outdoor School Summer Day Camp – June 7-July 30
The Arkansas Outdoor School, or AOS, offers camps with weekly themes. These camps are offered in-person at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. Aside from theme-related programming, every camp offers rock climbing, canoeing, archery and swimming. To find registration and other information, link to our AOS camps, https://4h.uaex.edu/programs/4h-center/arkansas-outdoor-school/summer-day-camps.aspx.
July 8-10 — State Camp I
July 11-13 — State Camp II
State camp is a great way to introduce children to overnight camp and is an opportunity for parents to join other 4-H families for this three-day camp filled with “traditional” camp activities such as swimming, canoeing and archery. The camp will be divided by age groups. Ages 5-8 must attend with a parent, guardian or relative.
July 22-24 — Artisan camp
Artisan camp — Ages 9-19
There will be no macaroni art found at this camp. This is an opportunity for youngsters to develop skills that can be used in projects throughout your life, as well as new hobbies and interests. Campers at past camps have learned how to decorate cookies, turn wooden pens on a lathe, create custom signs with a router, make soap, sew pillows, and much more.
July 22-24
Cloverbud Artisan Camp — Ages 5-8
Parents can use this camp as way to introduce their youngsters to camp. Participants will go home with a finished work they can enter at their local fair or be used as an inspiration to start their own business. Parent, relative or guardian must attend with the child.
Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk, @uaex_edu or @ArkAgResearch. Find 4-H information at this link: https://4h.uaex.edu/.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pictured: Shelby Cole, Katlynn Moore, Faith Rainwater, Jadelynn Wood, and Hope Rainwater accepts the Gaile Hainley runner-up trophy
Mansfield had good days at Waldron’s track. During the week-long Bulldog Relays run from April 5 through April 8, the Lady Tigers claimed three awards.
In the seventh grade competition on April 5, Mansfield’s Daisy Nelson won the high point award. Then the next night on April 6, the entire junior girls’ team outscored 28 other teams to claim the team championships. Finally, on Thursday, April 8, the senior girls took the runner-up team trophy against a field that included 31 schools.
Nelson started the week off right as the budding track star won the pole vault, 100m hurdles, and 100m dash. For good measure, she added a fifth-place long jump into the mix for 34 individual points and the high point plaque in the girls’ division.
Kaylee Ward
Nelson wasn’t done as she returned to Waldron the following day for the junior high division. There she won the pole vault and 100m hurdles again.
Mansfield’s total team effort raised 149.25 points for the victory. Six different events saw the Lady Tiger juniors finish first. Three times they took second place. And, on five different occasions, they took third.
Nelson, Kaylee Ward, Aaliyah Summers, Carter Whiley, and Addie Bowman all had hands in the six victories.
Summers, Whiley, Bowman, and Nelson cooperated in the fastest 4x100m relay time. Their 56.22 clocking was their quickest mark together this season. Summers also won the 100m dash in a time of 14.10 seconds to add to 10 more to the sprint points.
Ward won both the shot and discus. Her shot put heave of 36’ 5” was a personal record and beat the closest girl by 3 feet 3 inches.
Trey Powell
Laney Wood and Trinity Triska gave Mansfield’s juniors high value from the 400m on up. Wood was third in the 1600m run. Triska was third in the 800m run and fifth in the 400m dash. Together they joined Alyssa Black and Azlynn Stover for a third-place 4x800m relay team.
Wood was also second in the pole vault, fifth in the triple jump, and eighth in the 800m run.
Triska took seventh in the triple jump and was anchor to the third place 4x400m relay squad.
Black, Meghan Emery, and Bowman joined Triska on that meet ending final relay.
Black, Raine Hecox, Stover, and Shelbie Fuller teamed up to take fifth in the 4x200m relay.
Bowman and Nelson cleaned up in the hurdles races. The pair amassed 20 points collectively through the 100m and 300m styles.
Whiley continued her growth in the track and field arena. The eighth-grader scored in three events for 16.5 points. She was second in the 200m dash, third in the 100m dash, and part of the first place sprint relay team.
Aaliyah Summers
The senior girls had a solid night with 112 accumulated points. Host Waldron took the Gaile Hainley Championships with 138 points.
Faith Rainwater, Madelen Jones, Makayla Strutton, and Danielle Lillie continued their progress in the 4x100m relay. The four went 54.88 in only their second time together. The mark was good enough for second place in a photo finish with Booneville’s 54.63 first-place nod.
Lillie and Strutton continued a hot streak in the 100m hurdles. In a closely contested race, the pair went top two for the second consecutive week. Lillie came out on top of this one with a 17.63 etching. Strutton nosed past in 0.05 seconds later for the second-place prize.
Jadelynn Wood and Jones gave Mansfield hurdlers more good news as the pair gave the team another 11 point boost. Wood clocked in at 56.70 in the 300m hurdles for third place. Jones was fourth at 56.94.
Rainwater and twin sister Hope Rainwater gave MHS value in the distance events. They each scored individually in the 3200m and 1600m runs respectively. Faith also scored in the 800m run.
Mansfield’s junior girls win the Waldron Bulldog Relays
The twins plus Darby Jones and Wood made the 4x800m squad relevant with a 12:10 mark. That time was second overall.
Brooke Wright, Sarah Fisher, and Seven Sanderson pushed the pack in the throwing events. The trio together took two seconds and two-thirds in the shot and discus events.
Madelen Jones, Strutton, Lillie, and Faith Rainwater netted 13 points in the jumps department. The four covered the long jump, triple jump, and high jump duties for the team.
Haylee Helms set a PR in the pole vault at 7’ 0”. She was the lead leg in the 4x200m relay team with Shelby Cole, Harleigh Mars, and Wood. Together the quad squad took fourth at 2:06.84.
Cisco Fildes, Sammy Sellers, Dakota Langford, and Ethan Martin snagged First Place In the Honey Bun Relays
On April 6, the Waldron Diamond Dogs hosted the Danville Little Johns. The Bulldogs were off to a great start with Blake Owens on the mound and Logan Young catching. Waldron was able to score two runs in the first inning when Braden Williams doubled to chase home Matthew Brigance and Caden Fuller who both reached on singles and stole the next base. “We gave up 5 in the 2nd inning starting with a back-to-back base on balls followed by an error,” explained Coach Mark Brigance. “This type of thing has plagued us most of the season.”
The Diamond Dogs went on to score two more runs in the bottom of the second from a Jaden Hutchens walk followed by a Payton Justice single. “After a double steal, Bryson Bailey sac bunted in one run and moved another player to third. Brigance singled to score Justice.” With the game sitting at 5-4 Danville at the beginning of the third, the Diamond Dogs would reach one more score from a Drake Carnley single to bring Bailey home. The game ended with a final score of 10-5 Danville. Although the Bulldogs had a rough start to the week, they finished the week back on top.
“We got off to a good start against Cossatot on April 9,” continued Coach Brigance. “Carnley led off with HP, stole a base, and scored on an RBI by Brigance.” Fuller landed a hit to right field which allowed Payton Justice to score and the Bulldogs took the lead 3-0. Waldron next gave up three runs to Cossatot in the bottom of the first but after that, there was no looking back. The Bulldogs kept the Eagles scoreless for the remainder of the game ending with a 12-3 victory. Willaims pitched the first two innings for the Diamond Dogs while Noah Patrick finished the final five. “We missed chances to get more runs but the defense was much better and pitching and catching improved all game. We caught all the balls we should have and making routine plays means a lot.” Next up for the Diamond Dogs is Senior Night in which they will be hosting Mt.Ida on Monday, April 12.
Pictured: Bri Sanderson shares the spotlight with his sister Seven Sanderson and teammate Brooke Wright. The three are among the class 2A state leaders in the throwing events for the Mansfield track team
Mansfield’s monster of a man walks into the discus ring and immediately heads turn. Intimidation by his mere presence is only outweighed by his actions in the ring. So it has gone at the last few track meets for the Tigers and their human catapult.
Bri Sanderson, Mansfield’s chiseled out senior standing 6’ 4” tall and 2 biscuits shy of 280 pounds, has been dominating the discus competition of late. Since entering the ring after this year’s successful basketball season, the former state qualifier has not just been dominating; he has been destroying.
Recent evidence points to his seemingly jet-propelled launch of the 3.5-pound men’s discus at the Waldron hosted Gaile Hainley Relays on April 8. Oohs and aahs came raining down as Sanderson followed through on a 155’ 6” extravaganza.
On March 31, Sanderson got the discus community buzzing as he flamed kissed a “patty melt” 132’ 8” into the outer regions of the Mansfield Tiger Relay’s sector. That power push broke the Mansfield school record established back in the mid-1940s by Wall of Fame member Ardell Blythe. It also beasted the nearest competitor by nearly 33 feet.
But, at Waldron, the heat and the height got even better. Going up against a stronger and longer list of contenders, Sanderson played the intimidation card quite effectively. As the next to last thrower in the best flight, his monster mash stole the attention away from the next man up.
Jaxon Walker, a Caddo Hills junior, was the number one ranked discus player on sight with a newly obtained personal record of 139’ 5” from the Prescott Merchant Relays on April 1.
Walker could only manage a 133’ 7” paving way for Sanderson’s victory by nearly 22 feet.
“Bri has been really putting in the effort this season,” observed Mansfield coach John Mackey. “He made it to state his sophomore season and finished fifth. Last year we were shut down. So, I think he has a little extra motivation to be the best this season.”
Sanderson is now ranked number one in Class 2A. Teammate Shawn Brown, who is rated as the number sixth-best discus thrower according to marks taken this season, has won two meets this year.
Members of Mansfield’s throws team have been headlining the local meets for most of the track season so far this year.
Brooke Wright, a senior off the Mansfield women’s team, has already set a personal record (99’ 3”) and is ranked the second-best discus thrower in class 2A.
The Tiger women actually have four players ranked in the top 10 in class 2A state across all grade levels. Because they all through the same 1kg implement; Wright (senior), Skylynn Harris (junior), Kaylee Ward (seventh grade), and Sarah Fisher (junior) are among the top rankings.
If you include women discus throwers rated above the top 25, Mansfield also has ranked members Brooklyn Adams, Azlynn Stover, Alayna Turner, and Kaylie Lowery.
From the shot put circle, Mansfield’s senior girls have three players ranked in the top five according to best measures marked this season. Harris, Seven Sanderson, and Wright are three through five.
At Waldron’s track meets alone, one for the junior high and the other senior high, Mansfield accumulated 87 total points in just the throws.
Cisco Fildes took second at the Waldron Junior Bulldog Relays with a discus throw of 107’ 10”. Sammy Sellers scored in sixth place in both the discus (95’ 4”) and the shot (36’ 10.5”).
Wright was second in the high school discus (95’ 5”) at Waldron. Fisher was third (81’ 5”).
Seven Sanderson took second at the shot put circle with a season-best 30’ 3”. Wright was third at 29’ 11.5”.
Kaylee Ward won both throws in the junior girls’ division. She surpassed all contestants in the discus with an 83’ 8” toss. Then her shot put throw was another personal record at 36’ 5” for another first-place award.
By now you have likely seen the little caterpillar pests called Eastern Tent Caterpillars somewhere, it seems overnight these critters have taken over. While they will absolutely devour a tree, they have some rather fascinating characteristics about them. While you are wondering what to do with your new found infestation, let’s discuss some fun facts about them.
1. Yes, there are approximately 10 million everywhere now. This is because they are very social beings! The moth lays 150-250 eggs in one place, and all the siblings happily spend their days munching whatever they can find and building web nests. They remain as caterpillars for 6-8 weeks.
2. The web nests are what serve as a home base of sorts, tent caterpillars look for a tree that will be illuminated by the morning sun and get to work spinning their webs. The nests allow a place for them to rest and provides protections from predators.
3. These critters use pheromones to signal to their siblings where they are going to find food. These trail differ from other insects in a particularly interesting way- there are different pheromones. A caterpillar that is scouting will leave an exploratory pheromone trail to show they are looking for leaves. When a caterpillar finds a scrumptious meal the pheromone changes to let the others know to come join it using its recruitment pheromone.
4. The large clusters of these insects are how they keep warm. Early spring promises some cool mornings, and often they will group together in the sunshine in an effort to combat the low temperatures around them.
5. Horse owners beware! While normally harmless creatures, if a pregnant mare ingests one the setae hairs covering the bugs can wreak havoc on her digestive track and bring bacteria into the reproductive organs. In some cases this has triggered spontaneous late term abortions of foals.
6. Infestations are cyclical, every 9-16 years there will be a massive amount of hatchlings that will wreak havoc on their environment. While that proves problematic for the year it happens, it means that in the future the amount of caterpillars will decline for a while giving vegetation time to recover.
