Grouse and Ticks

[3006Sprng]

Curious if anyone has ran into this before, because I learned something interesting this evening, grouse can carry ticks, and a lot of them.

Long story short, I live in the NE corner of Alberta, we have ticks. I spend a solid 6 months plus every year in the woods hunting, scouting, walking my dog etc, have yet to see one myself. Never had one on me, nor my dog. So I would consider myself lucky as I hear of hunters from other provinces and states that hunt in areas that are infested.

Well, I was fortunate enough to shoot a grouse while taking out the garbage this evening, brought him inside to clean him. Left him on the kitchen counter on a piece of paper towel. Came back about 30 minutes later to find 20-30 larva/nymph staged ticks crawling all over the paper towel on the counter.

I’m not sure why I was surprised, they are a ground bird that wades through the long grass and sticks all day long. If any animal should have ticks it’d be them.

Anyone else ever see this before??

Here’s a picture of a few of the ticks below.

 

[Goatshoes]

I've seen plenty of bird lice but not ticks on any fowl. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. Little blood sucking bastards. Ick!

Thanks for sharing that. Now I know.

 

[LuketheDog]

 

[Hunting Wife]

In NE MT they are common on the grouse. I’ve occasionally seen regular ticks attached on birds too, usually near their eye or nares. But more commonly I open my bird bag and find it loaded with those tiny black ones like you saw.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Spray your clothes & your vest, game bag, etc.

Permethrin - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Headed into a few covers this weekend that produce far more hitchhikers than pats.

Essential equipment, permethrin.

 

[brockel]

In NE MT they are common on the grouse. I’ve occasionally seen regular ticks attached on birds too, usually near their eye or nares. But more commonly I open my bird bag and find it loaded with those tiny black ones like you saw.

Something I never even thought about worrying about in my bird vest until now.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Something I never even thought about worrying about in my bird vest until now.
View attachment 387044

You’re welcome

 

[Steelsearchin]

Hunted a place years ago in the ruffed grouse capital of the world where I swear the cheesehead pats just gorged on deer ticks and clover all day. Found plenty of birds, more ticks than I've ever seen, and honestly had trouble sleeping with the itchy-scratchies. Now permethrin helps with the sleeping!

 

[Ben Lamb]

Hunted a place years ago in the ruffed grouse capital of the world where I swear the cheesehead pats just gorged on deer ticks and clover all day. Found plenty of birds, more ticks than I've ever seen, and honestly had trouble sleeping with the itchy-scratchies. Now permethrin helps with the sleeping!

Picaridin lotion. Lasts 12 hours, even through fat man sweating.

 

[Steelsearchin]

 

[buckbull]

Ticks are really bad at my house. permethrin is a must. I have the same thing happen with squirrels i shoot. Spring is the worst time for them. Even with precaution i end up pulling 3-4 off me a week. Dog is on flea and tick meds. When my sister gives him a bath about 50 of them will be in the sink strainer.

 

[R.K.]

Growing up hunting Missouri, anything you hunted other than migratory birds had ticks. Deer, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels- all of them. Just covered with them. Any walk through the woods between last and first frost would surely produce a few on your clothes, if not dug into you. I have dug out hundreds of adults through the years, and hundreds of larval ones in a single session on multiple occasions.

I caught STARI as a teenager, Dad caught it last year, and then got diagnosed with RMSF last week (even with permethrin precautions). We are not fans of the little bloodsuckers. I’d prefer to burn them out every year if possible.

Now I’m in Montana. There’s maybe 1 month of tick season, and it’s not that bad. I love it. But I think I’ll hit my game vest with permethrin after reading this.

 

[BrentD]

Picaridin lotion. Lasts 12 hours, even through fat man sweating.

Gotta source?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Got a tick bite two years ago while in South Africa. Hunting was great but by the time we were headed home I was off my feed. Figured bad food. Over the next couple of months I got very very sick. In the E/R twice, thinking I was having a heart attack. Blood work/immagining showed organ damage,inflammation around the heart, liver and pancreas Resting heart rate went from 50bpms to the high 90s, finally take a 3 hour drive to an infectious disease specialist. Looks like you’ve been sick she said.
CDC doctor called, needed to find out where I had been to contract Ricketsia. What did your Dr. prescribe for treatment? Nothing, I was sick all summer. Still don’t feel great. They must have treated you, simple antibiotic treatment will clear it up. The disease is fatal in 25% of people who get it. Nope, got no help from them, couldn’t even get in to see a cardiologist when my resting heart rate went to 100.
Managed to muster enough energy to get my bull that year but for the first time since I was 12 I needed help packing him out.
Tick bites are serious shit. Do please take precautions.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Gotta source?

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1577595-sawyer-6-oz-picaridin-insect-repellent-lotion.html?blaintm_source=google&blaintm_medium=lia&setstore=44&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21246008061&gbraid=0AAAAADb97kW9mBn6c0IMl_OTyRNiWarL0&gclid=CjwKCAjw89jGBhB0EiwA2o1On59teA5ZJwBOytL-VXcpUkomFmk4i8oPD8T2FKqFuT1OYw08BNg-qBoCvNcQAvD_BwE

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Produ...2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

 

[Ben Lamb]

Gotta source?

As in a place to buy, or a source for the claim?

Amazon for the sawyer permethrin and picaridin (we got the 32 ounce pump bottle).

The claim comes from 4 years of living in the humidity and sweating like a pig at the slaughterhouse.

 

[BrentD]

I'm a big fan of the sawyer pump stuff. I haven't heard of any lotion. I'll start looking. I have soaked Dusty's orange vest in the sawyer solution.

 

[Ben Lamb]

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP564-Repellent-Picaridin/dp/B00VV5KRD8?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

It's pricey, but it works. Haven't had a tick on me all year outside of a random one the dogs brought inside the house.

it does tingle in the more delicate areas though. Makes a fella feel alive.

 

[BrentD]

My interest is suddenly turned to skunk, soaps and remedies
My two chuckleheads, just cornered one behind the house