Deer Flys... *&^%$#

[The Yeti]

What is it with these deer flies while fishing this year? We were up on Aitkin lake, I was being very careful this weekend and still got bit. My foot is all swelled up. I have a few questions. 1) What's in them that makes us swell up so bad? 2) What will stop them? I tried high % deet and ultra thon. Neither worked. 3)Why do they always go for the feet? I hate these little bass turds!!

[icehousebob]

I was trimming trees for a friend up at Pine City last weekend and they durn near carried me off. I was wearing a hardhat while running my power pole saw and one managed to get under the hat and bite me on my bald spot. With the hardhat on and a running pole saw half way through a big branch there was no way I could squash the little bugger. They seemed to like the bug spray I was using.

[HoleHopper]

What does work for them things? Got driven off the lake last weekend 15 min. after launching.

[Slyster]

The BEST stuff for black flies and probably other biting flies is Deep Woods OFF! in the greeen can. Nothing else works as well.. even 100% DEET creams.

[76k20]

I sure hate them, And they sure seem to love my ankles.

[The Grebe]

Yeti...What up balloon foot? Try wearing chest waders, tied off in the middle with rope.

Granted, it's little uncomforable in 90 degree plus weather and it does make manuverability a little tough, but the flys can't get through it.

The next method is to wrap your legs and feet in Ace bandages, from top to bottom. You have to wear sandles when you use this method, then you can see your toes turning blue and you can loosen the bandages a little.

Glad I could help...always willing to add a few pearls of wisdom to the situation.

[fishnhooks]

OOOh Wise Greb,

What can be done to help the dogs out, they seem to know right where to bite on the dogs as well... Right between the eyes. Waders on the dog, Tried that, didn't seem to work that well. Ace bandages, the dog couldn't see where he was going.

"hooks"

[ZOKU]

I hate deer flies!! *GRR!*

They always seem to land on my head. I think fragrances really set them off and then they're all over you like flies on... well... you get the point. It could be my shampoo. But nonetheless, nothing deters them... I'll have to look for the Deep Woods OFF in the green can.

[buzzsaw]

I got chomped on by Horse flies up on Winni this past Saturday and those worthless things drew blood on my toes and feet three times!!!! BLOOD! My goodness, I don't remember them ever being so darn potent! My off didn't work one bit! It wasn't the green can however with a large amount of Deet.

[Northland Sportsman]

I have also been tormented by the dreaded deer fly, imagine that! The deep woods off seems to attract them in my experience or at least not do anything to repel. I haven't found anything that works effectively. Camping this weekend we were attacked a few times. The only thing that worked was swating them, but by that time they are usualy biting and replacements come flying in. Any other suggestions out there?

[FishinBill]

1 little trick....sunscreen. don't know if that is what worked, but I wasn't getting bit and my buddy was. that's the only thing that was the difference

[buzzsaw]

I don't think it's the sunscreen, as I had some on. It could be that they get more aggressive towards people who have a higher amount of alcohol in their system... it helps them to get their buzz on.... maybe they can smell the booze coming through your pores and just go into a feeding frenzy.

[jltimm]

Other than a baseball cap or hat of some type,I heard of some type of adhesive strip you put on your hat that gets the little buggers good!I read about it last year in 1 of Gary Clancy's stories in the Outdoor News?One other note:They really seem to be attracted to alot of motion!

[Kevin Turner]

They buzz my head & drive me bonkers....

I had heard of a "fly paper" for your hat. Tha little buzz (Contact US Regarding This Word) get stuck to your hat (which might not be such a good thing).

[Tonka Boy]

I've tried everything under the sun and I swear the more you do the more they keep coming! Bug sprays, no showers for a week in the woods, sun screens, etc. I finally got to the point where I'm dressing in layers...at the very least high, thick socks. If it gets real bad I find myself making a turbon out of my t-shirt. At least it slows them down somewhat.

If all else fails I do some fast trolling...like as fast as the boat can go..."YOU CAN'T CATCH ME YOU LITTLE @#$%^&*"

Now I know why I don't have my own fishing show...

[ZOKU]

Quote:

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Now I know why I don't have my own fishing show...

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ROTFLMAO!

Nice...

[Howieroch]

Try Skin So Soft made by Avon. It makes you oily and you smell like a sissy, but it sure keeps those flies off you. I've even seen it for sale in a few bait shops around Brainerd.

[B. Amish]

i've heard that fabric softener sheets work. never tried it myself, but the guy who told me said he just put one underneath his hat and they stayed away

take it for what its worth

[Ray Esboldt]

I got drilled in the hand by one of them little...well you know, last week. I could barely hold a fishing rod my hand was so swollen. A few years ago, my hands got hammered by them one day on the water. My hands were so swollen that I had to steer my truck with my palms. I could not grip the steering wheel. I resembled the Poppin' Fresh dude for the next several days.

As bad as that is, I ain't applying any Avon products. I'll just try to find some pride in the impending battle scars. But, then again, maybe we can get Avon as a site sponsor...Rick!

[sakazulu]

I think the only thing that really works is "WINTER"!

[picksbigwagon]

I have used the fly strip things for your hats and they are the only thing I will wear as far as bug protection goes. I have worn them stream fishing up north in august and walked out of the woods with over 40 of those devils stuck to my hat and I never get bit or bothered by them.... In fact after the first couple hit the strip you get used to the little thwack on the back of your hat. the only place I have ever found them was at a bait shop in White Bear lake. I have never found them at gander or cabelas.....

[hydro]

I have a yard full of these pests most of the summer. The posts above are correct, No repellents work for them, they usually go for your head, and they are not bright at all. That being said, I took an old hat, made a wire frame and wrapped a strip of flypaper around it. Now I can walk out into the yard and get a bit of satisfaction with the BZZZ.T...BZ..BZ....then silence as they commit suicide on my hat. It looks pretty funny but it's deadly effective.

[Dotch]

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The BEST stuff for black flies and probably other biting flies is Deep Woods OFF! in the greeen can. Nothing else works as well.. even 100% DEET creams.

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As far as what causes the bites to hurt & itch so much, like most biting dipterans including mosquitoes, an anti-coagulent is injected at the site of the wound that keeps the blood flowing into their piercing/stabbing/sucking mouthparts. It also causes swelling & itches like heck afterwards, allowing for the possibility of secondary infections. Your Mom was right: Don't scratch those bug bites!

Have had good luck with Deep Woods Off on the deer flies in SC MN anyway. We spend many hours a day walking around corn and soybean fields in the summer months. They have been a son of a gun this year, especially when it comes to the increasing hole in the ozone layer on my melon. I may stink but they don't bite me.

[frabillfisher]

I tried the fabric softner sheets while shooting my bow they were so bad i had to do something and i just put it in the back of my shirt and it really seemed to help alot...only tried it once though so no real idea if they actualy work