Recommendations for best Tick Repellent?

[HairyScandinavian]

I’ve been hunting most of my life in tick infested woods so bad it would make a man cry. Seed ticks moving up your leg like the legions of satan and headed straight for the giblets.

These days, I rarely go into the woods without wearing Sitka’s equinox guard series. It’s was a bit leery of it at first, but that pant and shirt combo has been worth its weight in gold.

How long does that stuff last?

 

[rwtdog]

Thanks for the insight in this thread.

 

[Erict]

Spend plenty of time afield here in NY, where ticks can be bad. I have had great success with the standard homebrew using Martin's concentrate on clothes, deet on skin. No tick prevention kit is complete without one of these to check areas you might not be able to see otherwise:

 

[Hollow Point]

I have read this thread many times and have learned a lot from everyone's suggestions. Our black bear hunt in North Idaho is approaching and me and my son just about have everything together.

I have read many of the suggestions from others of tucking their pants into socks.

Me and my son both were cowboy boots. Would spraying down our cowboy boots and saturating the bottom of our blue jeans be sufficient?

 

[Wolfshead]

I have read this thread many times and have learned a lot from everyone's suggestions. Our black bear hunt in North Idaho is approaching and me and my son just about have everything together.

I have read many of the suggestions from others of tucking their pants into socks.

Me and my son both were cowboy boots. Would spraying down our cowboy boots and saturating the bottom of our blue jeans be sufficient?

No it would not be sufficient.
You really need to spray clothing from head to toe.

 

[Hollow Point]

No it would not be sufficient.
You really need to spray clothing from head to toe.

Wolfshead... I apologize, I did not complete my question properly. At first I only purchased (2) 24oz spray bottles of Sawyers Permethrin and (1) 24oz spray can of Ranger Ready Picaridin. I have actually purchased another (2) 24oz spray bottles of Sawyers Permethrin and (2) 6oz spray cans of Sawyer Picaridin.

I am already planning to saturate our hunting hats, top layer hunting shirts and coat if needed, pants, cowboy boots 24hrs before our hunt begins with Permethrin. Our hunt is scheduled for 5 days so we will each have 3 outfits of the listed clothing.

My thoughts/question is since our jeans will be saturated especially at the waist and foot line along with our cowboy boots from the bottom all the way to the top and our pants legging will cover our cowboy boots, is it even worth spraying Permethrin on our socks since we aren't planning to tuck the leggings into our socks.

I'll be honest, I am actually planning on spraying the Picaridin on our whole upper body before we put our shirts on every day as an extra. Is this to extreme?

We do occasionally pick up ticks down here in SW Louisiana, but not often.

 

[throwdarts]

I have read this thread many times and have learned a lot from everyone's suggestions. Our black bear hunt in North Idaho is approaching and me and my son just about have everything together.

I have read many of the suggestions from others of tucking their pants into socks.

Me and my son both were cowboy boots. Would spraying down our cowboy boots and saturating the bottom of our blue jeans be sufficient?

I love my Georgia ranch boots, but would hate climbing those mountain's in them.

 

[Idaho Mtns]

My thoughts/question is since our jeans will be saturated especially at the waist and foot line along with our cowboy boots from the bottom all the way to the top and our pants legging will cover our cowboy boots, is it even worth spraying Permethrin on our socks since we aren't planning to tuck the leggings into our socks.

Spray everything. You’ve got lots of good input on this thread, and looks like you have a good plan.

I unfortunately have more knowledge about ticks than I ever wanted to know. After a spring outing over a decade ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in my thigh. Removed a fully engorged black legged deer tick out of my leg, and had the classic bullseye on my thigh. Sent the tick to the lab, it had lyme and so did I. Had a ~ dozen crazy lyme symptoms and went through a long treatment close to 2 years but have been good since. It was a lucky outcome. Naively, never used permethrin or any other repellent before being bit.

My 2 cents.

• Have used the Sawyer permethrin religiously since my tick bite over a decade ago and haven’t had a single tick on clothes or me.
• Spray basically everything, So, socks to boots to gloves to hats. Also to backpacks, tent, etc.
• Have only used a light to moderate spray amount, and have never soaked/saturated or applied heavy amounts.
• I reapply after 6 weeks and clothes are washed multiple times.

In the real world, how effective is permethrin? Was hunting upland with a buddy several years ago in the fall when temps were below freezing that sunrise. We had to pass through this narrow draw with a few large and tightly spaced bushes early morning so temps likely mid to upper 30s by then. I went through first, followed by my buddy. Shortly thereafter, we noticed that he had about 30 ticks all over his clothes. I didn’t have a single tick.

Good luck on the Idaho bear hunt and let us know how it goes!

 

[Wolfshead]

Wolfshead... I apologize, I did not complete my question properly. At first I only purchased (2) 24oz spray bottles of Sawyers Permethrin and (1) 24oz spray can of Ranger Ready Picaridin. I have actually purchased another (2) 24oz spray bottles of Sawyers Permethrin and (2) 6oz spray cans of Sawyer Picaridin.

I am already planning to saturate our hunting hats, top layer hunting shirts and coat if needed, pants, cowboy boots 24hrs before our hunt begins with Permethrin. Our hunt is scheduled for 5 days so we will each have 3 outfits of the listed clothing.

My thoughts/question is since our jeans will be saturated especially at the waist and foot line along with our cowboy boots from the bottom all the way to the top and our pants legging will cover our cowboy boots, is it even worth spraying Permethrin on our socks since we aren't planning to tuck the leggings into our socks.

I'll be honest, I am actually planning on spraying the Picaridin on our whole upper body before we put our shirts on every day as an extra. Is this to extreme?

We do occasionally pick up ticks down here in SW Louisiana, but not often.

No worries!
I just wanted to make sure you’re safe from them tiny beasts!
Sounds like you have it covered.

 

[winter993]

Permethrin is absolutely the best thing I've used.

 

[LostArra]

Just a heads up if you need permethrin and can't find Sawyers this is available at most farm stores. It works well. It has some distillates but seems identical to Sawyers, probably same carrier system