chicken choker n [From its supposed effect on chickens; see quot 1997] esp Inland Sth
= doodlebug n 2.
1967 Nashville Tennessean (TN) 25 July 9/3, We were surprised that they had never heard of chicken choker fishing. . . The prey’s home is a neat, clean hole usually found in spots where the dirt is bare. 1985 Carlsbad Current–Argus (NM) 8 Sept [34]/5, A chicken choker, I came to learn, is a revolting little wormlike creature with an itty-bitty, ugly head. . . To catch these things . . you poke a stick down its hole and it hangs on. 1992 Clarion–Ledger (Jackson MS) 3 Dec sec D 2/1, “You can’t just get a stick and stick it down a hole and expect to catch a chicken choker the first time,” Reynolds said. “Being originally from Mississippi, I can catch a chicken choker in Mississippi and in any state I happen to find a chicken-choker hole in.” 1997 Leaf–Chronicle (Clarksville TN) 21 Sept sec D 5/3, Several readers reported that they, as elementary school students, enjoyed fishing for camel worms. Jeannie Travis did so at a small rural school near Dresden, in West Tennessee. She said some people call them “chicken chokers.” Chickens like to eat them, but will choke trying to swallow the hump-backed larvae. 2000 DARE File—Internet seGA, You are very Wiregrass if . . you used broomstraws to jerk Chicken Chokers (Doodle Bugs) out of holes in the yard. 2011 in 2019 DARE File—Internet cwAR, To catch a Chicken Choker, you need only two things: patience, and a good strong broom straw. 2018 Ibid MS, My buddy and I spent many a day in the late 80’s early 90’s catching these in Mississippi. We called them chicken chokers as well.