Tick Mitigation - What do you do?

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Atzanik

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With the tick population increasing (at least here in south-eastern Ontario), what are you guys doing to help mitigate tick exposure while hunting?

Personally I spray all my outdoor gear/clothes with permethrin, as well as the area in and around my ground blind when using it. I find this to be pretty effective at reducing the amount of ticks that I encounter.
 
Only thing that kills ticks is a slow moving ground fire. Cold, drought, rain, etc...has little effect on them. I tuck my pants into my socks and spray deep woods off from boots to knees. Seems to help a bit
 
When I'm out picking up antlers I tuck my pant cuffs and duct tape them. I tuck my shirt in well and wear a light hoodie to keep them out of my hair. Then I check a few times through the day and pick them off me. We do have lyme disease in my area and I have had to have ticks pulled that have bit me. (Between the shoulder blades was a * itch) I take a little extra precaution now so I don't end up infected for life.
 
When I'm out picking up antlers I tuck my pant cuffs and duct tape them. I tuck my shirt in well and wear a light hoodie to keep them out of my hair. Then I check a few times through the day and pick them off me. We do have lyme disease in my area and I have had to have ticks pulled that have bit me. (Between the shoulder blades was a * itch) I take a little extra precaution now so I don't end up infected for life.
 
I use permethrin treated clothing. Went for a tramp in the bush looking for morels yesterday, and spent more than an hour in there. When I came out I had at least 7 on me. I let them be, waited for about 20 minutes before I got in the truck and went home. The only ones left on me were stuck just inside my boots (which I treat as well), and those two were pretty much goners.
 
scruffee said:
Sadly this is pretty much the way to go. I haven't found anything that really works...
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Do my business as usual. Minimize skin exposure.

once back, I remove clothes outside or in the garage then straight to the washer. Quick inspection to ensure no aliens riding my hide. I find they creep up from pant's leg openings, under the shirt if not tucked in. My bro got one this year near the arm pit. Yup, short sleeve t-shirt & no bug spray...
 
The stuff I use is made by Sawyer its called Premium Insect repellent. It is used by spraying your clothing, let it dry into the fabric then use. Good for up to six washings. A spray can is good for 2 sets of clothing including your sox. I average a dozen or so ticks a day when i'm out. They are all dead I have not been bitten yet this year.
 
I've generally found a bit of deet on the access points (pants from boots to thighs, around the cuffs, around the neck) has kept me clear. Thanks deep woods off. Walked back into the property for the first time without doing that and both my wife and I had ticks on us. I definitely find that helps reduce the risk though nothing beats a good tick check at the end of the day.... can do that with the wife too.
 
firstson said:
The stuff I use is made by Sawyer its called Premium Insect repellent. It is used by spraying your clothing, let it dry into the fabric then use. Good for up to six washings. A spray can is good for 2 sets of clothing including your sox. I average a dozen or so ticks a day when i'm out. They are all dead I have not been bitten yet this year.
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+1 for Sawyers insect repellent. Not a tick this year!!!
 
firstson said:
The stuff I use is made by Sawyer its called Premium Insect repellent. It is used by spraying your clothing, let it dry into the fabric then use. Good for up to six washings. A spray can is good for 2 sets of clothing including your sox. I average a dozen or so ticks a day when i'm out. They are all dead I have not been bitten yet this year.
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Where'd you get it from? I've seen it mentioned by name on the internet.
 
Permethrin can be found in many horse sprays, which are cheap. TSC or farm stores, Just watch the eyes when you spray.

I used it for years on my dogs for critter protection specially flies. I do worry about long term exposure so I only use it now in the worst weeks of the years, which is coming up now. I have never had an issue with ticks in 30+ years of being in the field or 20+ years of running active dogs twice a day. Now this weekend we are down in Niagara visiting the in laws and there will be dawg walking and they said its bad down there, so I'm will see how bad it gets. But look at fly sprays.....
 
Family used Skin So Soft for years in the woods or at the cottages. I found it wasn't the best but it was better than some. Deep Woods Off was okay for most bugs but I can't say how it did on ticks as they were not a big issue at the time so we didn't see any. I'll be looking into Permethrin this year for my next outing.
 
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