The Ultimate Guide to Deer Tick Bite Prevention

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I absolutely hate ticks, and who doesn’t? So far, I’ve had Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The only one I haven’t gotten is Alpha Gal (knock on wood), and I don’t want to even entertain the thought of being allergic to meat. That’s why I’m dead serious about keeping ticks off of me during the warmer months, and I’ve got a good strategy for it.

The tricky thing about tick prevention is knowing when to go nuclear and when to just put on a little bug spray. If you spend as much time outside as I do, you don’t want to put on a full-blown hazmat suit every time you venture into the hinterlands. To help, I’ve put together a phased approach. Whether you’re going out for a walk with the dog or spending three days in a turkey camp, the following system should have you covered.

The Tools

There are several bug repellents and tools for getting rid of ticks on the market. Here’s a quick and dirty guide to setting up your tick prevention arsenal.

DEET

DEET is the classic, OG insect repellent. It’s sold in percentages with several types of applications—from deodorant-like sticks to aerosol spray cans. It’s generally skin-safe, but it will damage some clothes. To keep ticks off, go with 25 percent DEET or higher.

PICARIDIN

Picaridin is a lot like DEET, but it’s for clothes. This is great if you want to quickly treat your clothes and make them temporarily tick-proof. I like to use Picaridin along with DEET for more protection.

PERMETHERIN

Permetherin is a bit like Picaridin, but it lasts a lot longer. Instead of hitting clothes for a quick outing, you’ll treat your clothes with Permethrin, and that treatment will last for several washings. This stuff is like magic, but it has a few drawbacks. You shouldn’t wash non-permethrin-treated clothes with your permethrin gear. Also, you need to apply it safely, outside in a well-ventilated area.

TICK KEY

Tick keys will help you get ticks out of your skin without removing the head. If you do remove the head, you could still be at risk for a tick-borne illness, so a tick key is a nice piece of kit. Keep one on your key ring, and you’ll never be without it.

TWEEZERS

Tweezers are old-school and should only be used by a deft hand, but they’re still great for getting ticks off of you. Not all tweezers are created equal. If you had one that came in your first aid kit, it’s likely garbage. Go to the drugstore and buy tweezers from Tweezerman. You won’t be disappointed.

DOXYCYCLINE

This is a last resort, and it’s a discussion you need to have with your doctor. Some doctors will prescribe you Doxycycline as a prophylactic. (Get your mind out of the gutter; prophylactic is just a fancy word for preventative.) A dose of Doxycycline will keep you from getting Lyme disease if administered within 48 hours of a tick bite. But again, you’ll need to run this by your doctor and only use if prescribed.

Phase 1: The Quick Outing

Let’s say you’re going to check a few trail cams, taking a quick hike in the woods, or on a short walk to the creek to catch a trout. It’s possible you’re going to encounter some ticks, but you’re not going to be swimming in them.

If this sounds like you, you don’t need to seal your entire body off to the outdoors. The key here is convenience. The outings above are usually impromptu, and that’s why you need a tick kit in your truck. My tick kit includes a non-aerosol bottle of 25% DEET bug spray, a bottle of Picaridin spray, a tick key, and tweezers.

Spray the DEET on areas of your skin that are exposed to the seams of your clothes, then apply the Picardin directly to your clothes in the same areas. Tuck your pants into your socks (I know this looks stupid, but just do it) and tuck your shirt into your pants. The only way a tick can get to your skin is through the sleeves or collar of your shirt.

This will prevent ticks from biting you while you’re in the field, but they might hitch a ride on your clothes and bite you later. Use the tick key or the tweezers if necessary, but try to ditch your clothes after you get home and take a shower to wash any of the creepy crawlers off.

Phase 2: Hanging Out in the Woods

For this phase, you know that you’ll probably come in contact with ticks. You’re working on food plots, hinge-cutting trees, or doing some heavy scouting for turkeys. If you plan on spending significant time in the woods, walking through brush and uncut fields, you need a bit more coverage.

This is when I’ll reach for a deodorant-like stick of DEET. I’ll apply this in rings to my wrists, ankles, and neck. The idea is, if a tick starts crawling where it isn’t supposed to, it’ll come in contact with a ring of DEET. I’ll apply Picaridin to my clothes at the access points: sleeve cuffs, pant ankles, and the neck of my shirt. I’ll also give my clothes a bit of a Picardin mist, just in case.

To top it off, I’ll also wear a pair of Permethrin-treated pants. Most ticks are going to crawl up my leg and settle on my pants. With Permethrin, they’ll die when they try this, and that’s a good thing. After a day out in the woods like that, I’ll throw my clothes in the wash, then shower and change. I’ll also spend a bit more time washing my hair and checking for ticks, but I’ll spare you on the details of all of that.

Phase 3: Hanging Around Ticks All Day Long

This is where tick prevention gets real. I like to save full-blown, DEFCON 1 tick-stopping power for my most serious sits in the woods. For me, it’s turkey hunting when I know I’ll be sitting on a pile of ticks for hours on end. It’s also early deer season before a hard frost, or a day of small game gunning in rabbit thickets or hardwoods full of squirrels.

Right off the bat, I’m going with the stick-style DEET and making rings around my wrists, ankles, neck, and waist. I might even spray a bit of DEET on exposed skin to help with mosquitoes as well. Then, I’m going with a full suit of Permethrin-treated clothing (shirt, pants, socks, and hat) and hit it with Picaridin, going heavy on the areas where one piece of clothing hits the other. If a tick gets on me, at least one of these chemicals will kill it or make its day so bad that it’ll find a new home. I’ll usually tuck my pants into my socks and my shirt into my pants, then put pull-on rubber boots over that.

I have a friend in tick-infested Virginia who eats raw garlic throughout the season. He swears by it, and I have yet to try it, but it couldn’t hurt. If a tick does manage to get through these defenses, I’ll try to get it off right away. As with phase 2, I’ll try to change out of these clothes and shower shortly after going hunting. If I do get a tick, I’ll pull it off immediately, trying not to take off the head. My doctor has given me a script for Doxycycline, and I’ll take the recommended dose if I feel like the tick has been attached long enough. With all of that, your chances of getting a tick-borne illness are pretty slim.

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