Ticks on my deer!
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Maine
Posts: 75
Ticks on my deer!
Has anyone else found ticks on their deer? I noticed he had several behind his ears as I was getting ready to field dress him, so I flicked them off with my knife blade and dragged him away from the spot. They looked like (bigger) wood ticks and not deer ticks, but several of them were engorged and it was hard to tell.
Tonight as I was getting ready to skin him, I found a few more, and it's been hanging in my cold garage for 4 days to age. I made sure I didn't handle the hide too much, and used my truck and a noose to pull the hide off, rather than doing it by hand and put the hide in a trash bag right away.
I've read that Lyme disease is just starting to get a foothold in the northeast, so I want to use extra caution.
Just wondering if anyone else has had the same situation and what you did about it?
Tonight as I was getting ready to skin him, I found a few more, and it's been hanging in my cold garage for 4 days to age. I made sure I didn't handle the hide too much, and used my truck and a noose to pull the hide off, rather than doing it by hand and put the hide in a trash bag right away.
I've read that Lyme disease is just starting to get a foothold in the northeast, so I want to use extra caution.
Just wondering if anyone else has had the same situation and what you did about it?
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 56
RE: Ticks on my deer!
I have had many ticks the deer that I have shot in the past with a more mild fall such as the one we have had. This year I shot a deer that I am getting mounted and after I caped it out I stuck it in my freezer. Three days later I took it to the taxidermist, and when I got there and took it out of the bag the ticks were slowly starting to thaw out and come back to life. The taxidermist said he sees it all the time, but when I asked him about lyme disease he said not much has been said mugh about it lately.
#5
RE: Ticks on my deer!
The taxidermist said he sees it all the time, but when I asked him about lyme disease he said not much has been said mugh about it lately.
then again any meat can have some diseases in it...lyme disease is by no means a "Easy" fixer upper, i have had it about 6 years ago and it put me under and out of work for well over 3 months...there's really no "fix" for it in the way of medicine , all they can give you is an antibiotic , and your body has to do the rest, it takes from a few weeks to a few months in some people for the body to start making anti bodies to fight it..i never got antibiotics as i wated a long time before going to the doctor, once i went 9after about 4 weeks) my body already started making a anti-body and the doctor told me the medicine wouldn't really help me at that point.
not sure what exactly lyme disease does to your body , all i know is that you will runa fever for weeks , you slepp about 18-22 hours a day and even the 4 hours you are able to get up you feel like you just worked 20 straight hours.. ooh yeah and your lymph nodes are swollen up the size of golfballs...
don't be alarmed though , very low % of the deer tick actually carry the lyme disease , same as with the west nyle virus..and even a smaller % of bitten people will actually get the disease... it's like the flu...some catch it , some don't..
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 41
RE: Ticks on my deer!
Ive seen ticks on the deer ive gotten, Its to be expected they live out there you know. Just watch yourself when ur cleaning and make sure u dont get them on u, but u cant get lyme disease from eating the meat of a deer.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 494
RE: Ticks on my deer!
ORIGINAL: Bassman4940
Has anyone else found ticks on their deer?
Has anyone else found ticks on their deer?
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Ticks on my deer!
If you carry the deer to the house to skin it you need to take as much precaution as you can. They can and do crawl off the deer and will get in your house and lawn. Fido and the old lady might get ticks.
#10
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Posts: 27
RE: Ticks on my deer!
Seems to be alot more ticks this year... I've had about 5 or 6 on me. Got all but 1 off before its "bite". Funny how you dont feel them going in but hurt like hell coming out...[:-]
Must be from the "warmer" weather here in the NorthEast... Today has been the coldest it been - got down to 22 deg last niight and a high today of 35 is projected.... Come on RUT..
Must be from the "warmer" weather here in the NorthEast... Today has been the coldest it been - got down to 22 deg last niight and a high today of 35 is projected.... Come on RUT..