Ever get home after hanging treestands, checking trail cameras, or just being in the field during the summer months and feel like your skin is crawling? Have you ever been outside and days later discovered extremely itchy bug bites from an unknown source?

Be diligent about searching for and removing ticks after being in the field.

From the first warm days of spring until the first hard frost during the fall, ticks and chiggers are very annoying. They also can transmit several diseases to humans. Whether turkey hunting or preparing for deer season, steps should be taken to avoid being bitten by these parasites.

Because treating these bug bites can be troublesome, prevention is the best way to deal with ticks and chiggers. A few techniques I have found over the years to avoid being bitten by chiggers and ticks include:

• Wearing long socks and tucking pants into them
• Tucking shirts into pants
• Wearing light colored clothes to spot ticks more easily
• Spraying clothes with Permethrin bug repellent or Deet products before going into the field
• Taking a shower and checking for ticks as soon as returning home

Research and personal experience has shown that taking these steps before going into the field can reduce tick and chigger bites by 90%. That’s an easy way to ensure we stay healthy to enjoy deer season!

Nicolas Halchin