Are these ticks.

[fishnguy]

On September 23, I was hunting elk and there was tons of action. I walked through some bush and noticed I was covered in tiny dots, kind of reddish/brownish in colour. I tried to just wipe them off my arms with my hand and was not successful, the cloth on the elk call worked though. I didn’t give it much thought (thinking it was some kind of seed) and didn’t look close. I know it was also all over my pants. I didn’t look because there was way too much bull action and i didn’t know better. Next day was fine, but two days after I saw some “bumps” on my body, mainly on legs, arms, and stomach. There were quite a few, a couple of dozens, at least; likely more. That’s what they looked like on that day:



There wasn’t any itching or anything. No obvious bite marks/dots. I was puzzled and figured I would monitor and see what happens. I was suspecting that those “seeds” were the cause of it, but didn’t even think it could be ticks. The next day (day three) the bumps looked the same but were itching like crazy and they did so for a few days, like really itchy. Today, 22 days later, they are almost gone, but you can still clearly see them and they still itch sometimes.

To note, my cousin was hinting the same spot the same day before me (didn’t have any action though, lol) and he had the same thing happening. Never happened to me before in the same spot or area or anywhere else.

On Monday, I was hunting the same area again and after hitting some bush, I noticed the dots all over my pants again. This time, it was slow with nothing happening, so I stopped and took a closer look. This is what I saw (amazing how much you can zoom in on the phone photo):







I am assuming this is tick larvae? There were hundreds of them. I took my pants off, but couldn’t shake them off, so I removed or killed them one by one almost. I also changed the shirt (always have at least one spare in my pack). Moving back, I got hit again and had to repeat the process. I caught quite a few more on my pants by the time I crawled out.

So my question is, are these ticks? Do those look like tick bites? Internet is kind of vague on the bites, saying that even larvae would remain attached to the host for a few days.

I have only seen a few ticks back when I was a kid and never since. So this was kind of eye opening. Hopefully, if those are in fact tick bites, I didn’t catch any of the **** they may carry. Internet says to go for a check up only if a list of symptoms occurs and otherwise you should be fine. Honestly, I am a little paranoid. I am going back down there on Saturday and not sure how that’s going to pan out, lol.

The next question is how do you protect yourself from these ****ers. It appears there is a gazillion of them. Weird that I have never seen them there before, just these two days and not before or in between. September 23 was hot, above 20; The day before yesterday, on the other hand, was fairly chilly, probably just above zero (not higher than 5 C).

Another question, if those are tick bites, do I just stop worrying about them as a thing of the past? Not really sure if they are tick bites, maybe just a coincidence: it was a warm day and there were all kinds of bugs flying around. Not sure if any of those bugs would be able to get inside of my boots though. And again, the internet says that even larvae would be feeding for a few days and some of the places where the bites are would be very noticeable if there was something there. I took a shower after coming back, maybe that washed them off. Not really sure what to think though.

Since I don’t think spraying myself with deet is the best idea when planning to get right inside an elk herd, what is the best way to protect myself from these parasites? It’s going to be below zero at night and even during the day on Saturday, are these ****ers still going to be active in those temperatures? It was just below zero on the night from Sunday to Monday, I think, and they were still there on Monday.

Would appreciate only knowledgable comments.

Thanks for the replies.

[Seige]

Initially I was going to say no, and the. I continued and saw the pictures of the bugs. YES!! Without a doubt those are ticks! They look like babies to me right now, yet they are definitely Ticks! I’ve been dealing with them on my Chocolate Labrador this year! In Saskatchewan. “Luckily” I’ve been pulling American Dog Ticks(which seems to eliminate Lime disease, but only)
From the pictures I’m not sure which type there are. Yet the legs are not black (which is a very good thing) and they do resemble what look to me like baby Dog ticks (from what I see on their backs but I’m not sure). Best thing I can think of is take them to a veterinarian, they will be able to send off to a lab where they may test for diseases and identify them.
As far as what to do the next time you want to go in that bush or any other for that matter I haven’t mastered that yet other than multiple layers of clothing perhaps.
My pup I’ve been giving what’s called NexGard every month which only kills a tick after they bite which I’m not interested in for next year 100% without compounding with the “liquid down his back” type of flea and tick deterrent in hopes of preventing the ticks from biting in the first place.

For a person or myself I figure that if I have too, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. and if it’s safe for my Pup... I’ll take a NexGard as well lol, unless I find something else as the score too date is 5 off of Pup: 1 off of me(ticks this year).
All the best and good luck I will definitely be keeping my eye on this to see what other guys say about repellent for themselves (and or their dogs)

[Husty]

Yup baby ticks.. Surprising I always thought they died off once the heat of summer rolled around, maybe they come back once it cools off?

Hate Ticks with a passion, worked up in Northern Sask this summer pulled many of those suckers off everyday.

[tallieho]

That's them.You want to check yourselve,or someone check everyday.What your looking for of course is them.But if you have been bitten & fed on .There will be the tell tale target.Ring with a bite mark inside it.Seek med attention.Don't pick it off,because the head,will be left in you.Allowing the bacteria,to spread.I have & now suffer severe arthritis,headaches.from my encounter with them.My whole left side went numb.Because i thought i got all of the bug.Very dangerous bug. https://www.google.com/search?client...from+your+skin

[Osky]

They do look like young ticks. Down here we have plenty of ticks of all kinds but the last 3 years or so I have been spraying clothing with permertheren (spell check) and have had zero until last week.
Like others here I thought they were done with the cold so no sprayed clothing. Had one bury itself fast and deep while cutting firewood.
Have them checked, diseases ticks spread can be devastating.
One of the surges of the north.

Osky

[jstubbs]

Yes looks like ticks to me

I would not hesitate to seek at least a check up (when was your last doctor checkup anyhow?) and have a medical opinion on those. Lyme disease can be life ruining. Extremely bad stuff.

[obsessed1]

What part of the province? I HATE tics fortunately I don't have many run ins with them up north here...yuck

[urban rednek]

Those are ticks, can't tell from the photos if they are larvae (6 leg) or nymph (8 leg) stage. Wear tight fitting clothes and use chemical treatment (Deet or Permethrin) to keep them off you; elk steaks are not worth a life long illness.
This video provides insight on their tactics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsd2i-qFHK4

[sk270]

As pointed out, larval ticks have 6 legs and nymphs have 8 legs. As far as I know, the larval stage has not been shown to transmit Lyme disease but nymphs and adults of certain species can carry the Lyme bacteria. Other species carry other diseases.

It's important to check reliable sources for information. A tick researcher told me that a lot of the folk stories are wrong about the best ways to remove ticks that are feeding. Tweezers or other mechanical aids are the best according to him and most other authorities.

In a similar vein, the bulls-eye rash does not always appear.

Again, if you are concerned, consult the appropriate authorities. In my past experience, your local canine veterinarian may be more aware of the tick/Lyme/tick-borne disease situation in your area. Thankfully, that's changing as more medical practitioners become aware of Lyme disease and other diseases that affect humans.

The permethrin sprays for human use referred to by Osky are not licensed for sale in Canada so you would need to find other sources.

[KGB]

Ticks for sure as many already said. Permethrin is your best friend. You can buy it on Amazon and at the horse feed stores. Spray your clothing and you will be fine.
Without telling us your elk honey spot, can you at least give us the idea of the area where you found such a motherload of this pesky buggers?

[TrapperMike]

Can you give a general area where you came across these ticks

[HunterDave]

General question......Would a guy be susceptible to lyme disease from tick bites in the picture or is a bullseye type ring around the bite the indicator of it?

[fishnguy]

Thanks for the replies.

The “general” area is WMU 522. Peace River valley is to be more “precise”.

Originally Posted by HunterDave

General question......Would a guy be susceptible to lyme disease from tick bites in the picture or is a bullseye type ring around the bite the indicator of it?

I did some reading. Since those appear to be larva, it is highly unlikely they carry Lyme disease. The reason being is that they get it from their first host, usually being rodents or birds. That’s what the internet tells me, anyway. After their first bite, they grow into nymphs and those are the biggest spreaders: higher likelihood of getting something from them than grown up ticks.

On all the photos, they appear to have 3 sets of legs, which puts them into the larva category. All others have 4 sets, for a total of 8 legs. So I should be safe if those were, in fact, their bites.

Not sure why they are out so late in the season. I checked and it -6 the night before I got them on Tuesday (I said Monday before, but it was Tuesday).

Thinking to get one of those sticky rolls that are used to remove hair, etc from clothes and carry one in the backpack and see how that works if I ever run into them again.

[sk270]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

General question......Would a guy be susceptible to lyme disease from tick bites in the picture or is a bullseye type ring around the bite the indicator of it?

As I noted above, the bullseye rash does not always occur. I have heard, but not definitely, that such a rash may be seen in reactions to tick bites that don't involve Lyme disease. If you find out for sure, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

[thumper]

In the Rockies, at the bottom of avalanche chutes, I've come across 'clumps' of tick larvae - with hundreds all balled/bunched up and climbing over each other, at the end of shrub branches. They're just waiting for a mammal to brush up against them, so they can grab on, and then spread out like in your photos.'

I've carefully picked off every one too!

[fishnguy]

I have been fortunate to be informed by a very knowledgable person that these are larvae of winter ticks, the ones that cause moose look the way they do during winter. They do not carry Lyme disease. If the person gives me permission to put the info he provided me with here, I will.

Also, big props to Walking Buffalo for getting me in touch with the right person. Much appreciated.

[WildBillG]

When you encountered them was not considered late in Tick season. Cold does not kill them it only makes them drowsy or dormant depending how cold it is. You can actually get ticks on you at any time. I wish I knew how warm it had to be but of that I am not sure. My guess is though that on a warm chinook day there is a risk.
Lyme is not the only disease ticks carry. It is just the best known one right now. My advice would be to see your doctor and explain what happened. Maybe even search a specialist on tick diseases. I would also get at this right away. My wife suffers from several diseases she got from tick bites. Hope this helps.

[BigJon]

Moose ticks 100%. I’ve been covered in them while chasing elk in the Peace Country. Some folks (like myself and evidently you) will break out in little rashes from them well others don’t seem to be bothered. You can’t host ‘em so don’t worry.

[fishnguy]

^ Thanks.

Originally Posted by WildBillG

When you encountered them was not considered late in Tick season. Cold does not kill them it only makes them drowsy or dormant depending how cold it is. You can actually get ticks on you at any time. I wish I knew how warm it had to be but of that I am not sure. My guess is though that on a warm chinook day there is a risk.
Lyme is not the only disease ticks carry. It is just the best known one right now. My advice would be to see your doctor and explain what happened. Maybe even search a specialist on tick diseases. I would also get at this right away. My wife suffers from several diseases she got from tick bites. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the concern, Bill. According to this pamphlet from the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Winter Ticks, they don’t carry any disease that can be passed on to human:

In rare cases winter ticks may parasitize humans, however, these ticks do not carry diseases transmittable to humans and the meat of infected animals is suitable for eating. Winter ticks can parasitize cattle and horses, but do not appear to cause disease in these species. Therefore, winter ticks pose a negligible risk to human or domestic animal health.

[ks.snow]

I’ve also run into these ticks this fall along a river valley near grande prairie. Had about 50 of them on my leg. And was picking them off my clothes for the next 2 days. Glad to know they don’t have diseases. Fingers crossed there wasn’t any other ticks mixed in with them.

[graybeard]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...ighlight=lymes

I am so happy to read all the comments and how people are educating themselves...Knowledge is power....

Stay safe

[lakebesnard]

Yup you got yourself into a mess of Winter tick aka moose tick (dermacentor albipictus) .... I spoke with retired U of A professor Dr. Bill Samuel who is a moose tick expert and he said the Peace River area has the highest density of these little buggers in Alberta ... oh Joy .... I've hunted the area the past two years and got many bites as well ... will be going with Permethrin next year for sure as i'm allergic to tick bites and will itch for weeks to months.

[WildBillG]

Canada seems to be a ways behind on tick knowledge. I think finding some info out of the US would shed more light on these ticks. There is a woman who puts on tick seminars at Cabelas and sportsman shows give her a call. Her name is Jill and her number is 403-412-4096 she would be glad to give informatyon she has gathered.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by lakebesnard

I spoke with retired U of A professor Dr. Bill Samuel who is a moose tick expert

This is the man whom I contacted and who took quite a bit of his time to respond to me and provided me with way more information than I was hoping, including some pics and article he wrote for AO Magazine and others. I greatly appreciate the time he put into the response. Here is the written part of his message:
What interesting observations! I think you are dealing with a tick that seldom gets on humans. But it is pretty obvious that where you were hunting elk is an area where the tick is doing quite well this year. The common names of this tick are winter tick, moose tick, elk tick, deer tick, because these are the major hosts. The scientific name is Dermacentor albipictus. There is no other tick like it in North America because it is a one-host tick. That is, all the tick life stages, larvae (the life stage shown in your pictures), nymphs, and adults occur on one individual animal. Thus, the larvae attach to hosts (I see from your posts that you have moose, elk and mule deer where you are hunting) in autumn and take a blood meal and become a nymph, which in mid-winter take a blood meal and moult/become an adult, which take a blood meal and drop from the host in late March, through April to land in the leaf litter where they lay eggs which hatch to larvae in late summer. Those larvae then climb vegetation and form in clumps which then grab onto passing hosts in the bush mainly moose, elk, deer and in your case you. Moose, elk, etc have no winter ticks on them over summer.



For sure hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts walking game trails or in other parts of bush where a lot of larvae are on vegetation can get infested just like you did. It happens, but who knows how often. Probably rarely but other hunters have gotten in touch with me for information, so it might be a more common occurrence than we know.

One thing we do know for sure is that, at least in Alberta, most if not all moose, elk, and deer get re-infested every year of their life. And tick numbers can be very high on moose over winter. Our data for Elk Island National Park showed that average over winter numbers were approximately 35,000 with many moose infested with over 60,000. Elk averaged far fewer (1,200), and whitetails averaged 540. These hosts respond to winter ticks feeding on them by grooming against the itch of biting tick (like we respond to biting mosquitoes). They scratch with their hind hooves, use their tongue and lower front teeth at sites where ticks are feeding on blood, and rub against vegetation.



This damages the winter hair coat and such moose are called ghost moose when most of their hair coat is damaged or lost. Elk lose a little hair at the base of the neck, grooming with their hind hooves. Deer lose little to no hair.

Your pictures suggest that some larvae bit you, but I think this is very rare because our research suggests that they jump off human hosts shortly after getting on , realizing I guess that we are not good hosts. Why you suffered itch for so long, I do not know, but feeding ticks do release chemicals in their saliva that, like mosquito bites, do cause itching. I am guessing that humans have different sensitivities to tick bite. You might just be very sensitive.

All I can assume is that either elk or moose, likely moose are also relatively abundant where you hunt and that last winter they were heavily infested, thus dropping lots of adult females on the ground last late winter-early spring. And summer was relative wet (developing ticks need high relative humidity over summer to survive as larvae and climb vegetation in Sept October). We know that larvae numbers on vegetation peak in first two weeks of October and die in early to mid-November due to freezing temperatures.[/QUOTE]


Thanks to Dr. Samuels for his response and Walking Buffalo for suggesting I get in touch with the man.

Hope this helps to others who may be unfortunate to find themselves in similar situation as well.

[6.5swedeforelk]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

...


Thinking to get one of those sticky rolls that are used to remove hair, etc from clothes and carry one in the backpack and see how that works if I ever run into them again.

Duct tape works great.

I was bitten for days in my tent by these hitchhikers.

Now I dust clothing & bedding with my dogs flea powder.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

This is the man whom I contacted

Thanks to Dr. Samuels for his response and Walking Buffalo for suggesting I get in touch with the man.

Hope this helps to others who may be unfortunate to find themselves in similar situation as well.

Thanks fishnguy, Walking Buffalo, and Dr Samuels ! This is great information that helps us better understand the tick situation!

[leo]

Post #24 updated at OP's request.

[fishnguy]

^ Thank you, Leo. Greatly appreciated.


Here is a short 5-minute segment from a National Geographic documentary called “Moose: Titans of the North”. It was suggested to me for viewing by Dr. Samuel and somewhat shows the scope of the tick problem for moose in northern Alberta. It also shows these little creatures I ran into. Very interesting stuff.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsd2i-qFHK4

I picked up a few more of them when I was out on Saturday, a couple dozen or so, not bad compared to my two prior experiences. Also to note, even though I now know what they are, it still feels weird going through all the bush and I can’t stop looking at my pants as they are the only light coloured part of my outfit. It sucks and it is distracting. Hopefully, it isn’t PTSD and I’ll get used to it (laughing).

Also, if you watched the above video, good luck getting in deep next time you are in the bush, lol.

[fishnguy]

I was out yesterday (November 1) again in the same area and these buggers are still around. We had minus 16 already and about 4-6 inches of snow that all melted away yesterday because it warmed up to plus 10. I noticed probably a couple dozens again (maybe more, maybe less) and think I may have gotten a bite or two again (not sure, it will be clear in a couple of days), in spite of always checking and being dressed accordingly. Not really sure how to avoid them otherwise; it seems that the only way is to stay home or, at least, out of the bush.



Edit: so far, after making this thread, I have been out there at least 5 times (probably more) and only one of those times I have not seen a single one (or just did not notice).

[Moosetalker]

Good when you can see lots of long nosed shrews in the bush they can eat their body weight in ticks.