Holy ticks!

[herm]

Hunted public land south of Lake Mille Lacs on Sunday. That night, we pulled close to 50 ticks - yes, 50 - off the dog. All appeared to be deer ticks. Most were not attached but some had embedded.

She is Lyme-vaccinated and on Frontline the 1st of every month. (The November dose went on a day early.) Talked to my vet, who said to wait 4 months and have her tested for Lyme's. Otherwise, not much that can be done.

What do others think? Wait that long? Anyone ever had that many ticks, especially this late in year? Also, if others hunt this area, was my experience unusual?

Not sure I want to hunt that area again.....50 ticks, 1 woodcock and 1 grouse flush...not the ratios I want...

[Jmnhunter]

oh yea, its discouraging, you would think this time of year you wouldn't have to worry, but they are out; seems like more ares than others, found atleast 30 on the dog couple of weeks ago near park rapids, all deer ticks. just had my dog tested for any diseases, i'm going to try advantix next spring as its supposed to repel the ticks;i was looking more into the ticks for myself and others, deet didnt do anything, U of M says deer ticks will come out during the winter if there is a warm up! we need some consistent cold to knock them out for awhile, they are hearty for being the size of a .

[shamrock7]

Seeing a lot in our area also. tiny little buggers

[Acemac]

Where did they all come from I grew up in brainerd and we never had them back them now they are everywhere!

[Harmonica Bear]

The places I hunt, which includes the Mille Lacs area, 50 ticks doesn't surprise me at all. One thing to remember not all deer ticks are carriers of Lymes. Just because your dog has a deer tick on it or has one embedded doesn't mean they will get any of the tick born diseases. All you can do is monitor your dog, treatment for Lymes has come along way, too.

I swear deer ticks hang around year round. Sunny days grouse hunting in December I have run into seemingly nests of them.

[IRISHSOBNO4]

when i was younger i don't remember seeing anything but dog ticks.

also back then alot of people burned the grass in the spring.

[LABS4ME]

Was out with my dog grouse hunting 2 weeks ago. Found at least 20 on him that day and probably another half dozen over the next couple days that had embedded.

My vet and I decided it is best to put him on a 21 day cycle of doxicyclin to cover anything he may have gotten. It's not just Lyme disease but also anaplasmosis and now erlichiosis. Not willing to wait to find out. He said many breeders and trainers are now doing a course of antibiotics twice a year in the hot bed areas to cover their bases as far as tick bourn disease.

I have had pretty good luck with Frontline, but have found some ticks that have attached or embedded... he told me to try a new product... I can't remember the name, Certific I think?. Anyways, I bought one dose for each dog, it was expensive, but if it works better I am going to use that from now on. My biggest concern is not Lyme disease, but the other two diseases... they wreak greater havoc than Lyme disease and there is no vaccines for anaplasmosis or erlichiosis.

Also, I remember a study for the percentage of Lyme carriers in deer ticks... muchhigher than what I thought. I don't remeber the exact number off the top of my head, but I think I remember it was way higher than 10%, which means more than likely your dog was exposed. Also many dogs are exposed to the Lyme bacteria but do not contract the full blown disease. Some live with it and show no clinical signs. But you still need to be on the look out for the other two.

Good Luck!

Ken

[pureinsanity]

The places I hunt, which includes the Mille Lacs area, 50 ticks doesn't surprise me at all. One thing to remember not all deer ticks are carriers of Lymes. Just because your dog has a deer tick on it or has one embedded doesn't mean they will get any of the tick born diseases. All you can do is monitor your dog, treatment for Lymes has come along way, too.

I swear deer ticks hang around year round. Sunny days grouse hunting in December I have run into seemingly nests of them.

They do! They will survive whole winters by finding a host such as a deer. They are brave little buggers!

[R. Miller]

Doesn't surprise me. I was hunting a few years back in the same area, same time and my wife and I pulled 78 deer ticks off of my britt. We counted, 78. I always have me vet give the lymes vaccination in August and I use frontline. They were still crawling around on her even with the frontline, mostly trying to get up towards her head. It was bad. I never remember them being that bad. Especially back in the 80s, early 90s when I started hunting. They seem to be spreading their range too. I guess it's just smart to continue to take the proper steps, monitor your dogs like people have said. It's just a bummer it's gotten this bad.

[laker1]

Before 1991 the west side of Mille lacs area had no deer ticks or very few.I know when you traveled east they increased.Within a few years they exploded everywhere.

[Hookmaster]

Back in 1983 we hunted the Mille Lacs WMA. The dog had a few deer ticks on her, the first my group had seen. I was a student at the U of M and brought the ticks to a microbiology lab that was studying lymes disease. One carried the bacteria and the other didn't. Now I regular get them on the dog and me north of Deer River. We don't see the normal wood ticks. I hate ticks. They're one of the reasons I don't hunt turkey.