Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are so small that many people don’t realize one has crawled on their body until it attaches to their skin—a risk for Lyme disease. (Photo courtesy of © Kontakt931/Dreamstime)
March 26, 2025
By Bruce Ingram
I had spent the morning turkey hunting in the West Virginia mountains. On the drive home, I found three black-legged ticks crawling up my arms, even though the temperature at more than 3,100 feet had been in the upper 30s. Unfortunately, I did not find all of them that day.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I discovered a fourth tick, which had attached to my body. I immediately asked my wife to remove it. She used curved tweezers to grab the tick close to my skin and gently, but firmly, pulled backward to remove the bloodsucker. Just as importantly, I took two pills of doxycycline, which I always keep on hand through a doctor’s prescription.
The black-legged, or deer, tick is about the size of a pencil point and can cause Lyme disease. The premise is that a double dose of doxycycline lowers the risk of Lyme if taken soon after a tick attaches. I’ve contracted Lyme, and fortunately I was able to self-diagnose that I had the disease because of toe tingling and general fatigue. (A bull’s-eye rash is the most well-known symptom.) Early detection and my doctor’s aggressive treatment with doxy resulted in my having only a relatively mild case.
Of course, it’s better to not contract Lyme disease at all, and keeping ticks off our skin is the best form of prevention. Thankfully, hunters and anglers have several gear options that help guard us against ticks and avoid Lyme disease, as well as other tick-related afflictions such as alpha-gal syndrome and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
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SPRAY, SPRAY, SPRAY Travis Avery, marketing director for Sawyer Products, says one of the company’s most effective products is 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent . Picaridin is a synthetic version of piperine, a natural biocide produced by black pepper plants. Sawyer’s picaridin spray works up to 12 hours, and the company’s picaridin lotion is effective up to 14. Both are odorless and repel not only ticks but also gnats, chiggers, sand flies and biting flies. The product can be safely applied to hunting, fishing and other outdoor gear, and Sawyer notes it is comfortable to wear on the skin.
Photo courtesy of Sawyer Products Permethrin, developed to act like compounds produced by the chrysanthemum flower, is another synthetic effective at defending against ticks. Permethrin kills ticks (and other insects) that come in contact with it by affecting their nervous system. Avery says Sawyer’s Permethrin Fabric Treatment, which is odorless after drying, offers excellent protection from ticks and other insects. Possible uses include treating a wide variety of outdoor gear such as clothing, seat cushions, packs, blinds and tents. An application repels mosquitoes and ticks for six weeks or six washes.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS Insect Shield developed a process where a proprietary permethrin formula is bound to fabric fibers and lasts through 70 washings, the expected life of the garment. Registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as being a safe and effective repellent, Insect Shield apparel wards off ticks, mosquitoes, ants, flies, chiggers and midges.
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“Our number one goal as an insect repellent company is that people will have full protection from their heads to their toes,” says Mary Collins, vice president of business development. “Our clothing is functional and good-looking and can be used for different outdoor activities. Insect Shield products are registered for use by the whole family, including women who are pregnant or nursing. Since the repellent is bound into the fabric fibers, there’s no way to misuse the products like there can be with topical repellents and no need to reapply throughout the day.”
Photo courtesy of Insect Shield Good examples of Insect Shield’s lineup for men are the Quarter Zip shirt paired with the Performance Cargo pant . I like the Quarter Zip in black for wearing inside blinds. I don the pants when performing habitat-improvement projects. My wife Elaine often helps with habitat projects and likes the women’s Tech Hoodie paired with the Dockers Weekend Chino pant. Collins emphasizes that a couple other items are an integral part of tick prevention, and they are often overlooked.
“Socks are crucially important in warding off ticks, which attack from the ground up,” she says. “Treat shoes with our permethrin spray. Also apply the spray to any equipment you bring afield to ensure full protection.”
While Insect Shield offers just two shirts in woodland camouflage, the company partners with many manufacturers of hunting and fishing apparel to satisfy customers’ needs in the field and on the water. One of those partners is Sitka.
Photo courtesy of Sitka “I’ve been lucky to use the Equinox Guard over the last few years in Optifade Subalpine and the new Optifade Cover camo patterns,” says Justin Brouillard, who works closely with Sitka as senior public relations account manager for Gunpowder. “From the hoodie’s built-in face mask, which I always used to forget, to the grid pattern in the pant that allows air movement, and leg vents, it’s a quality set for spring and early fall, both turkey and deer. I’ve not had one tick on my body, but I have seen a few on the pant. The chemical portion killed them, and they fell off. Between the leg gaiters that go over socks, the long back on the hoodie to tuck in and the hood, there is nowhere ticks can enter and mosquitoes can bite.”
Photo courtesy of Simms Fishing Simms is another company that partners with Insect Shield. The Simms Bugstopper line offers hoodies , pants , shirts and other apparel for anglers. Keep in mind that ticks aren’t the only biters Bugstopper deters, as Simms’ John Frazier can attest.
“In Alaska I was wearing Bugstopper pants and a Bugstopper hoodie ... my buddy was not,” says Frazier. “He was absolutely miserable and covered with mosquitoes, but I didn’t have any problems with mosquitoes whatsoever.”
Dave Larsen, CEO of Gamehide, which has a proprietary agreement with Insect Shield, says tick populations in many areas not only seem to be increasing, but these creatures also remain active throughout most of the year. One way to deal with this scourge is to dress in layers.
Photo courtesy of Gamehide “I’ll wear our ElimiTick Insect Repellent Cover Up Jacket that has heavier fabric but is not insulated,” he says. “Then under that, I’ll put on however many layers of wool or other underwear that I need. I’ll take the same approach with our ElimiTick Insect Repellent Five Pocket Pants. Keep in mind that the top layer of clothing should always be ElimiTick.”
Larsen notes this spring Gamehide will introduce the ElimiTick AeroFlex, a quarter-zip top with a built-in facemask and hood. These features should be helpful to bowhunters and spring turkey hunters who want to be concealed from game and protected from ticks with one garment.
Having experienced Lyme disease once, I don’t want to undergo that plague again. Smart hunters and anglers do all they can to protect themselves against ticks during their pursuits. Lucky for us, quality products go a long way toward keeping the bugs at bay.
This article was featured in the March 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
