Had my camo hanging up for a few days, went to put it on and there were 3 groupings of several (7-10) ticks clustered together just...waiting.
Spoke w/ a local veterinarian yesterday, he echoed the "worst year ever" sentiment.
Coincidentally, he has the same allergic reaction to the bite that I do with localized swelling & itching. Something to do w/ the proteins they inject to anesthetize as they bite.
Bloodsuckers.