Dang ticks!

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

Was out hunting recently in a creek bottom I laid my bow on the ground while I tied my boot, placed my hand on the ground to balanced myself getting back up then saw a deer tick on my hand that quick. Started looking at the rest of my clothing and found two more ticks. This was in an area that we have hunted for years never seeing or hearing about ticks. Something is causing the spread of these. I wonder why more attention isn't being given to developing a vaccine for Lymes and others??

[mj seratt]

In the last 15 years, my wife has contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, I was in the hospital for a leg swollen up tremendously, which the doctors thought was tick related, and a dear friend, who owns property adjoining our hunting land, nearly died last month from a tick bite.   A few years back, my older brother and I were working on some gear at his place, and spread out an old poncho to help corral the tools.  In less than 5 minutes, ticks were swarming all over the poncho.  I use permethrin on all my clothes, and still can feel the little bastards crawling on me everytime I think about them.  Be careful out there!

Murray

[Cory Mattson]

Roys post is what we use. I make my own from the concentrate. I spray clothes every two weeks mid August till November 1 - then again mid March through June. We also spray sox - whatever footwear - packs - hats - bandanas. Cost pennies to use.

Important to wear DEET too on exposed skin. I hunt in shorts mid August through most of October. Always wearing DEET back of my neck, head and legs.

And I ride home many times a year with game that is loaded with ticks. We always get to work quickly and always "feed the coyotes and vultures" by dumping animals parts especially the hides into woods at least a mile from the house. This has really eliminated ticks in the yard.

Since starting this mid 90s I have not gotten any ticks on me. And no chiggers either when I remember to spray sox, sneakers and DEET on my legs. Mid 70s to mid 90s I found ticks on me all the time.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've bee bitten over the years. Ticks were never a problem when I was a kid and I was always in the woods.

I got bitten last July in ME. I went to a local clinic as my my doctor was on vacation. Nurse practioner said the tick and had to be imbedded for at least 36 hours so no antibiotics. If I developed a fever or rash they would put me on doxycycline.

As it turns out I did develop a fever and my doctor put me on doxycycline and he said he would have done so from the beginning. He took a lyme's test and I was clear. Thank God.

My yard gets sprayed with cedar oil which really helps repel the ticks. But I still hop in the shower right after gardening and mowing.

I've been hanging back from hunting until we get a good hard frost.

Jawge

[Eric Krewson]

I buy the Sawyer brand off Amazon, I give my clothes a good spray outside and inside the cuffs neck and waist, I spray my socks outside and inside. I let everything dry overnight and wear the same clothes without washing them until they start getting pretty rank. I mist them again after washing.

I usually pick up ticks in the yard just from walking across it. I wear shorts a lot and know they are crawling up my socks and on to my legs. I keep a pair of treated socks to wear when I wander around my place and just the treated socks alone keep me tick free.

Just to emphasize how good this stuff is; we had an ice storm back in the 90s that toppled thousands of pine trees across the roads and food plots on our 4K acre lease. I worked for 6 months in the summer clearing the roads and plots by myself with a chainsaw, I cleared about 5 miles of roads. It was cut and toss the limbs off the road, I was neck deep in brush all day long. My clothes were treated with permethrin, I picked up 2 ticks in 6 months of this back breaking work. 

[bcwilly2003]

Ever think of trying RYNOSKIN TOTAL INSECT PROTECTION CLOTHING?

[Sam McMichael]

I was talking to a military guy who said they treat all their clothing with a strong solution of permethrin. They offer protection for the duration of the deployment. Even a "regular" spray will last through several washings, but I spray every time I go afield. After having a couple of tick borne illnesses, I have studied this situation extensively. Basically, there is nowhere in the country that you are not in some degree of danger from ticks. Also, even though this sounds harsh, anybody who simply dismisses ticks and takes no precautions is on a fool's errand.

I don't know about buying clothing that comes pre-treated. The cans of spray are relatively cheap, but how expensive are these clothes? Whatever, you choose, ticks need to be combatted! Sorry guys, but tick issues is my soap box.

[Wudstix]

I use the Sawyer spray bottle and cover the clothes good a couple days prior to wearing.  Might have to check out the cattle strength stuff and immersing my clothes.

[M60gunner]

Didn’t really know about ticks until I moved to CA. Our range was full of them. I used deet as well. Always took a shower when I got home. Did have a couple that I missed but I checked out OK. I bought the newer utilities that are treated for bugs. Trouble with them they are to hot for early season. So I went to the Permatine as well.
 Now I have to contend with snakes, scorpions, and no see eems

[Tim Finley]

If you spray your yard with Tempo you will eliminate all of you ticks and mosquitoes . Tempo leaves a residue and kills until the next rain washes off. Also good for crickets and spiders in basements and foundations. Its expensive but highly concentrated so a small bottle goes a long way its what they use in dairy barns and restaurants.  . Using latex gloves to handle your clothing doesn't make sense as you are getting the permethrin all over you from your clothes especially if you are immersing them .

[achigan]

I use the gloves to keep the liquid permethrin dilution off my skin per instructions. Once the solution had dried, it bonds with the cloth, making it safe to wear, even if I sweat.

[wood carver 2]

I use the gloves to keep the liquid permethrin dilution off my skin per instructions. Once the solution had dried, it bonds with the cloth, making it safe to wear, even if I sweat.

I’m glad you said that. I was going to ask whether you apply permethrin to your outer layers only or even your T-shirts and long underwear,etc.
Dave.

[achigan]

Since permethrin is a nerve agent, I did a LOT of reading before I tried it. Major companies(LLBean, Insect Shield among them)use it. I try to look into new tech when my health and money are on the line. A Google search of “permethrin clothing” might put ones fears to rest.

[Captain*Kirk]

The important thing to remember regarding permethrin is that you have to spray your outerwear and let it fully dry outdoors before wearing the clothing. The Sawyer stuff I use cautions against having treated clothing in contact with bare skin, so take it for what it's worth...
I spray my clothing mainly concentrating on the cuffs, sleeves, etc and only treat the outside of the clothing, then allow it to air dry completely. I then apply DEET to the skin in the areas ticks can get into your clothing. The permeth is supposed to last through six wash cycles of clothing, so don't over-treat.

[Silent footed]

I have a question, I don't use cover scents, treat, or wear any scent proof clothes (other than wool).

How many of you guys are using the whole soap and spray, laundry detergent, scent removal system, and then treating your clothes and body with these chemicals?

I mean, me personally, I can't imagine even wearing regular bug dope while hunting. And I don't even go to scent reduction steps myself.

[Eric Krewson]

I hunt the wind, it doesn't matter if I smell like a billy goat in a cheese factory. I went through the whole scent free routine years ago, unscented clothes wash, hung my clothes outside and kept them there, scent free soap bath before I left the house and wore rubber boots for my walk into the woods. The rubber boots seemed to hide my scent walking in but a deer downwind from my stand always picked me up.

I only hunt stands with the wind in my favor now, don't wear camo and have as good success now as when I wasted a bunch of time and money on the scent free stuff.

[Captain*Kirk]

I hunt the wind....

^^^^^^^This. Top priority.^^^^^^^

But I 'discovered' the Thermacell this year, thanks to some other hunters that raved about it. Can't say if it works on ticks but sure puts the kibosh on 'skeeters. Can't remember if it's supposed to repel ticks or not?
I bring a small bottle of liquid DEET (the high octane 98% stuff) in my day pack and do not hesitate to use it if the situation warrants. Better to spook a deer one one stand session than to put up with a lifetime of medical issues due to Lyme or other tick-borne diseases.
Be aware that DEET comes in various strengths, the most common being around 40%. When hunting, if you have to drag it out, might as well put the good stuff on. The bottle I bought is no bigger around than my thumb.
I think if I hunted in NE and had the issues some of you reported, I'd wait until after the first hard frost.

[gregg dudley]

Since permethrin is a nerve agent, I did a LOT of reading before I tried it. Major companies(LLBean, Insect Shield among them)use it. I try to look into new tech when my health and money are on the line. A Google search of “permethrin clothing” might put ones fears to rest.

This is why I won't use it on clothing that directly touches my skin...

[Captain*Kirk]

Today's miracle might be tomorrow's carcinogen.
Look at DDT, Agent Orange, Roundup...
I'm not confident that enough research and time testing has gone into a lot of these things. I would avoid allowing saturated clothing to touch your skin, even after drying.
On the other hand, clothing treated with permeth on the OUTSIDE and allowed to completely dry should be safe.

[UrsusNil]

I've hunted Western PA all my life, never even saw a tick until the '90's.

Interesting side note, I used to belong to a flintlock club and we would occasionally have guest speakers. One was a guy who made brain tanned buckskin. Beautiful skins, had them smoked and finished exactly as they were done years ago.

He pointed out all the small pin holes in the buckskin explaining that these were tick bites. Lots of them, about what you would expect on a deer.

Then he went on to say in his studies he got to examine some very old pieces of buckskin. He found the old buckskins were almost always without tick bites.

So I guess the natives and frontiersmen certainly had their problems out there, but ticks weren't one of them!