Two of us at the hunt camp stripped down to the gonche doing a tick check and my buddy says if anyone shows up now, we’d better find a tic in a hurry, lol
Tick and Lyme Disease Awareness
- Thread starter Jay
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Two of us at the hunt camp stripped down to the gonche doing a tick check and my buddy says if anyone shows up now, we’d better find a tic in a hurry, lol
Jockies won’t stop em or keep em out. Guys at work had one embedded in his little head. Another guy fat/big beer gut had to go to the doctors and put his legs in the stirrups so the doctor could removed it from his chode/taint whatever you wanna call it.
Seriously guys, I can make a joke about it now as I’m pretty well symptom free from about a 3 year plus spell of Lyme disease from a tic bite. We have plucked them off at deer hunting time for a few years with no ill effects but I got one attached that I wasn’t aware of during spring maple syrup collecting.
It started out with a stiff neck and weeks later spread to sore and weak arms, later sore and weak wrists and fingers. My family doctor had recently retired and I was at the mercy of the local clinics and they had no knowledge of Lyme disease or what the symptoms might be. They were very unimpressed with my printed Mayo Clinic symptom chart showing I had 7 of the 9 symptoms shown. They hate Google doctors even if it’s from a credible source.
I was lucky enough that it just slowly disappeared after about 3 years but others are not so fortunate.
I spray my hunting and sap collecting clothes with Sawyer brand Permethrin before going out and won’t go into the bush without them on. There’s no way I’ll go through that again. Lyme disease is a serious problem.
It started out with a stiff neck and weeks later spread to sore and weak arms, later sore and weak wrists and fingers. My family doctor had recently retired and I was at the mercy of the local clinics and they had no knowledge of Lyme disease or what the symptoms might be. They were very unimpressed with my printed Mayo Clinic symptom chart showing I had 7 of the 9 symptoms shown. They hate Google doctors even if it’s from a credible source.
I was lucky enough that it just slowly disappeared after about 3 years but others are not so fortunate.
I spray my hunting and sap collecting clothes with Sawyer brand Permethrin before going out and won’t go into the bush without them on. There’s no way I’ll go through that again. Lyme disease is a serious problem.
jlovie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Sweet Mary and Joseph. No more going in the bush for me!
I am very sorry to hear this, but your experience is very similar to what is happening in my area, distant from where you are. You mentioned deer hunting and maple syrup times. How many of these potential exposures to ticks you are talking about occurred when there was little or no snow on the ground?
Snow doesn’t seem to be the most important factor. Temperatures around zero and a bit warmer and especially a sunny day seems to bring them out. There’s still a fair amount of snow on the ground during spring sap collecting and not much tic activity seen but I guess my guard was down. As soon as it starts warming up, out they come, it seems.
I came across this podcast a while back and found it very informative. They just focus on ticks, lyme and prevention. Worth a listen and its not too long.
https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/024
https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/024
I've found blacklegged ticks on my dog the last 3 days after his run. He is vaccinated for Lyme annually, and on the tick monthly preventative NexGard Spectra.
But I'm starting to wonder if I should spray him down with the same permethrin spray they treat horses with?
Ultra Shield
But I'm starting to wonder if I should spray him down with the same permethrin spray they treat horses with?
Ultra Shield
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Agreed. And I have not sprayed the dog with it. Just sick & tired of all the damn ticks!
Eeeep. I sprayed my pants one time in the same room as the cat has her litter box... she seems fine but she was not in the room at the time. This was months ago.
I was in the pasture today (October 17th, 2022) about 110km North West of Saskatoon walking the cattle trails with my muzzleloader and happened to walk through a couple wood tick nests. I picked up a couple thousand wood tick nymphs. Luckily I was wearing a white sweater so I could see the little guys on my clothing. Temperature was 16 degrees celsius so all the ticks were active and looking for a mammal to hitch onto for the winter feeding. I snapped the photos after getting rid of nearly all the little parasites, but each nest had a large clutch of hatchlings that easily stuck to my clothing as I passed by. Each cluster was dense with at least 1000 ticks in each nest. I also saw 6 mule deer, one was a young buck, a fat cow elk that was quite surprised to see me so close, a ruffed grouse and several red squirrels. I also found the black bear den in an old beaver house in the dried up slough at the back of my property.
I figured I'd post something here so others could learn that October is actually one of the worst times for ticks. I ususally wear white when deer hunting in Saskatchewan as it is legal to wear. It also serves to make these tiny creatures visible when otherwise they would be nearly impossible to see. You can feel them on your body as they dig in. It feels like a bit of an itch as they bite, but they are nearly invisible to the eye. Each tick is about the size of the head of a pin.
One of the main reasons behind the infestation of ticks and lyme disease is the near absence of buring of pastures, fields and ditches. Remember when you or your grandpa, dad or uncles used to burn the pastures and fields? Ya well that isn't very common any more. And so the ticks, parasites, diseases, weeds and pests have gotten out of control over the last couple decades.
I figured I'd post something here so others could learn that October is actually one of the worst times for ticks. I ususally wear white when deer hunting in Saskatchewan as it is legal to wear. It also serves to make these tiny creatures visible when otherwise they would be nearly impossible to see. You can feel them on your body as they dig in. It feels like a bit of an itch as they bite, but they are nearly invisible to the eye. Each tick is about the size of the head of a pin.
One of the main reasons behind the infestation of ticks and lyme disease is the near absence of buring of pastures, fields and ditches. Remember when you or your grandpa, dad or uncles used to burn the pastures and fields? Ya well that isn't very common any more. And so the ticks, parasites, diseases, weeds and pests have gotten out of control over the last couple decades.
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March 13, 2023 a friend was bitten at my place by a tick. I had walked the dog that morning & they arrived in the afternoon for dinner and spent the night. When he got up the next morning, the tick was attached to his left arm. It is a reminder that you can be exposed ANYWHERE! Our best guess is the dog carried the tick into the house...
The tick has been sent to Geneticks.ca for testing.
And, this is TWO full weeks earlier this year than I found one last year... March 13 vs March 25th.
BE TICK AWARE!!!
The tick has been sent to Geneticks.ca for testing.
And, this is TWO full weeks earlier this year than I found one last year... March 13 vs March 25th.
BE TICK AWARE!!!
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In Nova Scotia they are everywhere - nothing to comb 50-60 black leg ticks off of my dog after a day chasing pheasants.
All my dogs are shot for Lyme and are on Symparica as I am doubtful about the efficacy of the three month stuff at the end of the period.
Also put Seresto collars (purchased in the States) on my dogs and these seem to keep ticks off them.
Will be buying Permethrin on my next trip south to treat my pants.
In NS the little bastards are not just carrying Lyme but also Anaplasmosis and Erlichiosis
If you get bit - get your ass to the doctor and INSIST on treatment - forget about testing.
All my dogs are shot for Lyme and are on Symparica as I am doubtful about the efficacy of the three month stuff at the end of the period.
Also put Seresto collars (purchased in the States) on my dogs and these seem to keep ticks off them.
Will be buying Permethrin on my next trip south to treat my pants.
In NS the little bastards are not just carrying Lyme but also Anaplasmosis and Erlichiosis
If you get bit - get your ass to the doctor and INSIST on treatment - forget about testing.
If you get bit - get your ass to the doctor and INSIST on treatment - forget about testing.
100%. In Southeastern Ontario, many if not most of the doctors and other medical professionals have just about zero knowledge of ticks and the diseases they carry.
100%. In Southeastern Ontario, many if not most of the doctors and other medical professionals have just about zero knowledge of ticks and the diseases they carry.
