Tick hazard from carrying shot game?

If you have noticed on the map ,that is general flyway for ducks and geese which is how the ticks got in Ontario!
 
No and that is what is in dog only flee treatment sometimes. I know it's bad for cats as a friend treated her cat for flees years ago and mistakenly got stuff not for cats as it had permethrin. The cat was to far gone by the time she realized something was wrong and went to the vet. Very sad death. But one should do their own research.
 
It has not crossed my mind ... until now ...

You mentioned that you hunt in central-east ... what is the nearest town/city? I have not noticed any ticks camping in Huntsville, South River, Bancroft ... How far east are you?

I'm in the National Capital Region, which is also where I hunt.
 
I’ve yet to see ticks on upland birds but I could see it happening if it was a bad year for them, I see ticks on my deer every year.

I've never seen one either and I'm not certain they will attach to birds, but grouse are ground dwellers and I did read one time that free range chickens were a good way to keep ticks out of your yard, except that the ticks might get on the chickens. That possibility aside, I do harvest a rabbit or hare or two, usually on request, and I'm really very fond of squirrel stew, one of the best game meats IMO. I'm considering spraying permethrin inside my game pockets, I doubt it could penetrate to the meat in the brief times the game will be in there.
 
this was 2017, expect ranges to have grown

li-lyme.jpg

In Ontario, I know from my bird watching days that the infected ticks got started in Long Point Provincial Park around 1980 after some US deer were imported there, spread to Rondeau PP and then Point Pelee NP, and the rest is history. I imagine coyotes played a big part in their spread, they're the most mobile animals found all along there. There may have been other ways the things got spread too of course. The ticks would have come in from Quebec anyway though, in that province they just walked over the border as it were. They have it the worst of all, like a biblical plague these days.
 
Last edited:
After Turkey hunting this season i got in the car next day and seen a tick right by the vent glad i had a ligter handy went few times after and one more time just before i got it the door I felt something crawling on my neck swiped it away it was a tick had me
Paranoid to say the least
 
To minimize the tick bite risk .. I wear form fitting Under Armor workout t-shirts under my hunting clothes and keep my hair quite short. I check my neck with a mirror when I come back. I wear a belt with my hunting pants and make sure it is a good tightness and I wear 8" hunting boots. When I come home I strip down in the foyer and carefully inspect my clothing and put it all in the wash.

Ticks are a royal pain!
 
Spent March and April in Quebec in the Hemmingford area. Local vet claims it is the hotspot for ticks in NA. It was OK for the first week or so and then they were everywhere. Got the dog treated and that worked out. Vet said different vaccines work for different areas. My wife picked one up somewhere between Montreal and Quebec City. It was on the back of her neck. Probably transferred from the dog. I removed it but not sure if it had been in place for 24 hours so she went for the antibiotic protocol. Dr. (we were in Portage La Prairie by then) said get them removed within 24 hours and good to go. He had actually picked one up on his back the night before while out for a walk. After that if they carry Lymes you have been impregnated. There will be a halo around the bite for a short time. Another little nasty habit they have is injecting a painkiller once they bite you, so other than the prick of the bite you are not aware you have a tick attached to you. I was surprised because there was still snow on the ground and cold but those ticks were on the move. Have not reached my part of the world yet.
 
Spent March and April in Quebec in the Hemmingford area. Local vet claims it is the hotspot for ticks in NA. It was OK for the first week or so and then they were everywhere. Got the dog treated and that worked out. Vet said different vaccines work for different areas. My wife picked one up somewhere between Montreal and Quebec City. It was on the back of her neck. Probably transferred from the dog. I removed it but not sure if it had been in place for 24 hours so she went for the antibiotic protocol. Dr. (we were in Portage La Prairie by then) said get them removed within 24 hours and good to go. He had actually picked one up on his back the night before while out for a walk. After that if they carry Lymes you have been impregnated. There will be a halo around the bite for a short time. Another little nasty habit they have is injecting a painkiller once they bite you, so other than the prick of the bite you are not aware you have a tick attached to you. I was surprised because there was still snow on the ground and cold but those ticks were on the move. Have not reached my part of the world yet.

I'm told there isn't necessarily a halo, otherwise that is the standard advice alright.
 
To minimize the tick bite risk .. I wear form fitting Under Armor workout t-shirts under my hunting clothes and keep my hair quite short. I check my neck with a mirror when I come back. I wear a belt with my hunting pants and make sure it is a good tightness and I wear 8" hunting boots. When I come home I strip down in the foyer and carefully inspect my clothing and put it all in the wash.

Ticks are a royal pain!

Yupp. Nightly strips infront of the truck with the headlights on if I'm out for multiple days. Got my first tick bite a few weeks ago, now I've gotten super paranoid. It wasn't there for 24 hours though - in fact I think I got it right after it bit me but I'm not certain. Didn't see any of the ####ers last weekend though. Going to be looking into permethrin for the fall hunt season, just need to find an affordable source for a reasonable concentration - I hear you can get better stuff in the states than up here so maybe I'll look in that direction as I'm close to the border....

I'm told there isn't necessarily a halo, otherwise that is the standard advice alright.

Correct. The Bullseye rash is a telltale sign, but it doesn't always appear. Estimates seem to suggest between 50 and 70% of cases will lead to the bullseye rash, which itself can appear anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after the bite.
 
Amazon is a source I would consider for those looking for permethrin or you can likely source it at your local feed store. Keep in mind it is very toxic to felines.

I had to go to the USA to get any last year, all the equestrian places were sold out or maybe clueless, but I stopped by a TSC store today and they had loads of it, sold for horses. A litre spray bottle was $25 and larger sizes are available if you want to get industrial. The BB household is good to go now, treat selective items of clothing and a lot of worry is gone (but not the vigilance).

For hunting, I also had the inspiration that all I need to do is to treat a cloth bag with permethrin and tie up any shot shot game up in that while I'm humping them around. An old pillow case will do, if I can't find something more outdoorsy. Problem solved, I think, again in the peace of mind department.
 
I had to go to the USA to get any last year, all the equestrian places were sold out or maybe clueless, but I stopped by a TSC store today and they had loads of it, sold for horses. A litre spray bottle was $25 and larger sizes are available if you want to get industrial. The BB household is good to go now, treat selective items of clothing and a lot of worry is gone (but not the vigilance).

For hunting, I also had the inspiration that all I need to do is to treat a cloth bag with permethrin and tie up any shot shot game up in that while I'm humping them around. An old pillow case will do, if I can't find something more outdoorsy. Problem solved, I think, again in the peace of mind department.

Are ticks from game birds really something to be worried about? I've heard about fleas from bunnies, but never ticks from birds.
 
Back
Top Bottom