Ticks: The Hunter’s Hidden Enemy

Written by: Ryan Reading, Fall Obsession Pro Staff

My personal experience over the years, I’ve been bitten many times by ticks and what I’ve learned is my immune system needs about a six month recovery period after removing one. I’ll notice increased aches, pains and tiredness. I’m not sure if it’s bacteria or just my bodies reaction but they can wreak havoc on you. 

Ticks have quietly become one of the most significant health concerns for people who spend time in the woods. Hunters, hikers, campers, and land managers are encountering them more frequently than ever, and many outdoorsmen have noticed that the number of ticks in the field today seems far greater than it was a generation ago. What was once an occasional nuisance has become something many hunters deal with regularly during scouting, shed hunting, turkey season, and early archery season.

The concern with ticks is not simply that they are annoying. These small parasites are responsible for transmitting more diseases in North America than any other insect. For hunters who spend hours moving through bedding cover, brushy edges, and creek bottoms, understanding ticks and learning how to reduce exposure has become an important part of spending time outdoors.

Ticks themselves are not a new arrival to the landscape. Fossil evidence suggests they have existed and were feeding on animals long before humans ever hunted these forests. Over time they evolved into highly specialized parasites designed to locate hosts and feed on blood. Their survival strategy has changed very little over time.

Unlike mosquitoes or flies, ticks do not rely on flight to reach their hosts. Instead they rely on patience and positioning. When a tick is searching for a host, it climbs onto vegetation such as tall grass, weeds, or brush and waits. With its front legs extended outward it simply holds position until an animal brushes past. This behavior is known as questing. When contact is made, the tick quickly grabs onto fur or clothing and begins moving upward in search of skin.

Many hunters assume deer are the primary reason ticks spread across the landscape. Deer certainly carry large numbers of ticks, but the deeper story begins with much smaller animals. During the early stages of their life cycle, ticks often feed on small mammals such as mice and chipmunks. These animals play a major role in the spread of tick-borne diseases because they frequently carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. And a host of other bacterial infections.

When a young tick feeds on an infected mouse, it can acquire that bacteria and carry it into the next stage of its life. Later, that same tick may attach to a deer, a dog, or a hunter walking through the woods. In this way deer help transport ticks across large areas, but small mammals often act as the primary reservoirs of the pathogens ticks carry.

Another detail many outdoorsmen find surprising is how ticks actually locate their hosts. While they do wait on vegetation for passing animals, ticks are not simply passive parasites. They possess specialized sensory organs that allow them to detect several signals produced by warm-blooded animals. One of the most important of these signals is carbon dioxide. Every animal releases carbon dioxide through breathing, and ticks can detect increases in this gas in the air around them. When carbon dioxide levels rise nearby, the tick essentially receives a signal that a potential host may be approaching. Ticks will then seek that source.

Ticks can also detect body heat, vibrations in the ground, and even certain odors produced by animals and humans. These signals trigger the tick to move into its questing posture. By climbing to the tips of grasses or brush and extending its front legs outward, the tick increases the chances of grabbing onto a passing host.

This behavior explains why hunters often pick up ticks while walking through thick vegetation. Bedding areas, brushy edges, tall grass along field transitions, and creek bottoms all provide the structure ticks need to position themselves. When a hunter brushes against that vegetation, the tick simply grabs onto clothing and begins crawling upward in search of skin.

Another characteristic that makes ticks such effective parasites is their ability to survive long periods without feeding. Many people assume ticks must find a host frequently in order to stay alive, but that is not the case. Depending on the species and environmental conditions, some ticks can survive two or even three years without feeding at all. During this time they remain hidden in leaf litter, vegetation, or protected areas of the forest floor, waiting for an opportunity to encounter a host.

Ticks are also remarkably resilient creatures. Certain species have demonstrated the ability to survive underwater for several days by slowing their metabolism and entering a dormant state. This helps them endure heavy rains, flooding, and extremely humid environments. For hunters who spend time around marsh edges, swamp ground, or creek systems, this resilience helps explain why ticks can remain common in places where other insects might struggle to survive.

These traits help explain why ticks have remained successful parasites for so long. Their ability to detect hosts through carbon dioxide and heat, survive long periods without feeding, and tolerate harsh environmental conditions allows them to persist in many different environments.

One question that often comes up among longtime hunters is why ticks seem far more common today than they were several decades ago. Many people who have spent their lives in the woods remember a time when encountering ticks was relatively rare. While ticks have always been present, several environmental changes have allowed their populations to expand in recent years.

One of the most significant factors is the recovery and expansion of deer populations across North America. During the early twentieth century deer numbers were dramatically reduced in many regions due to overhunting and habitat loss. Wildlife conservation efforts helped restore those populations, and today deer are thriving in areas where they were once scarce. While this is a success story for wildlife management and hunting, it also means ticks now have far more opportunities to travel across landscapes attached to their hosts.

Another important factor is the increase in what biologists call edge habitat. Modern landscapes often contain a mix of forests, agricultural fields, suburban development, and brushy transition zones. These environments support large populations of mice and other small mammals that play a major role in the tick life cycle. When mouse populations grow, the number of ticks that successfully reach later life stages can increase as well.

Climate patterns have also contributed to growing tick populations. In many areas winters are not as consistently cold as they once were. Extended periods of freezing temperatures historically killed large numbers of ticks each year. When winters become milder, more ticks survive into spring. Over time this allows populations to steadily increase.

When these factors combine, abundant deer, large rodent populations, suitable habitat, and milder winters, the result is an environment where ticks can thrive. For hunters, hikers, and campers this means encounters with ticks have become more common simply because the ecological conditions that support them have expanded.

Fortunately, there are several practical steps hunters can take to reduce exposure while spending time in the woods. Clothing acts as the first line of defense. Wearing long pants and long sleeves creates a physical barrier that slows ticks down and makes them easier to detect before they reach skin. Many experienced hunters also tuck their pant legs into their socks when moving through thick cover, which prevents ticks from crawling up inside clothing unnoticed.

Light-colored clothing can also help make ticks easier to spot while walking through vegetation. If a tick lands on clothing, it is often easier to see and remove before it has a chance to crawl toward exposed skin.

Another widely used precaution among outdoorsmen is permethrin-treated clothing. Permethrin is an insecticide that bonds to fabric fibers and kills ticks when they come into contact with it. Unlike traditional repellents that simply discourage insects from landing, permethrin disrupts the tick’s nervous system and causes it to die after exposure. Clothing treated with permethrin can remain effective through multiple washes and has become a common tool for hunters who spend significant time in tick-prone environments.

Developing a routine after returning from the woods is also important. Checking clothing and skin for ticks should become a habit for anyone who regularly hunts, scouts, or hikes through thick vegetation. Ticks often crawl toward warm areas of the body before attaching, which means they are commonly found along waistlines, behind knees, under arms, or along the scalp.

Showering soon after returning home can help remove ticks before they attach. Placing clothing in a dryer on high heat for several minutes can also kill ticks that may still be hiding in fabric.

Landowners who manage hunting properties can take additional steps to reduce tick habitat around areas where people spend time. Keeping access trails mowed and trimming vegetation near campsites or cabins can reduce the types of environments ticks prefer. Some land managers also place tick tubes in areas with heavy mouse activity. These devices contain cotton treated with permethrin that mice use for nesting material. When ticks feed on those mice, they are exposed to the insecticide, which helps interrupt the tick life cycle.

Despite the increase in tick populations, spending time in the woods remains one of the most rewarding experiences available to hunters and outdoorsmen. Ticks are simply another part of the natural environment that comes with exploring wild places. Like weather, terrain, and wildlife, they are something that must be understood rather than feared.

Awareness and preparation go a long way in reducing risk. Understanding how ticks locate hosts, where they tend to concentrate, and how resilient they can be allows hunters to take simple precautions that greatly reduce the chances of a problem.

For those who spend much of their lives outdoors, knowledge has always been one of the most valuable tools we carry. Learning how ticks operate is simply another piece of that larger understanding. With the right awareness and preparation, hunters can continue to enjoy the woods while minimizing the risks posed by one of the smallest predators in the forest.