What to do with tick infested deer ?

[fasteddie]

While I was in my stand this afternoon I got a call from a friend . He said he had shot a doe , field dressed it and took it home . He felt something , looked at his hand and saw a bug and realized it was a tick . He flicked it off and realized it was a tick and checked out the deer close . He told me that there was at least 40 of them on the deer and he saw a couple that were huge . He wanted to know what to do with the deer and I wasn't sure .

I think I would have used a couple of 3mil bags and double bagged that deer and put it in the garbage . I told him to check his hunting clothes and anything else he came in contact with and to buy some Permethrin to use in the future .

I have been lucky enough to have never seen any ticks on a deer .

How would you dispose of a Tick infested deer ?

[burmjohn]

What do you mean by dispose?

Just skin it and butcher.

[GreeneHunter]

I always drop my deer off at the butcher , if you butcher your own I would just skin it like burmjohn said !

[WNYBuckHunter]

Um, you eat it, just like any other deer.

[GreeneHunter]

Um, you eat it, just like any other deer.

X2

Edited November 11, 2014 by GreeneHunter

[Zem18]

Just get the hide off and the meat is fine. All deer have ticks and/or keds. Just skinned a 5pt last weekend and it had a bunch crawling on it. No issues with the meat though. Also went to camp Saturday and had a tick on me when I got home. Sucker crawled up my sleeve and latched into my forearm. Wife got it out with tweezers.

[Geno C]

That hide has to come off asap. Then bag that hide up.. usually after a deer is shot ticks realize their host is no longer alive and detach, when they detach from the host they head for higher ground and usually start crawling all over the fur of the deer.

[ants]

Deer have ticks….Have him drop it off at the butcher. Haul it in the bed of a pick up or utility trailer. Don't put it in the back of a SUV or in the trunk of a car. The ticks can live several days.

If he does his own cutting, tell him to  skin it ASAP ,put the hide in a garbage bag and get rid of it. Check himself for ticks, before he gets into the house. The meat will be fine.

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

I had two deer ticks last year in my back and had them removed from the local urgent care.. You have to be careful when pulling out ticks as their head will dislodge from the body and remain in your skin which can cause a infection.. I kept the tool which enables you to grasp the head and remove the tick successfully .. I also was informed that if you get them out within 48 hours of being attached you have a pretty good chance of not getting Lyme disease,, the nurse at urgent care said that after that time the ticks become engorged and then vomit back inside you , that is when you are most likely to contract Lyme disease .. Ticks seem to be a big problem around hear in the last ten years .. I also heard , but have not tried ,, if you heat up a pin or a cigarette and touch the back of them , they will back themselves out..

Like stated above skin them and eat them as usual ,, I always check for ticks every time I shower after hunting ..

[jauslong]

I had two deer ticks last year in my back and had them removed from the local urgent care.. You have to be careful when pulling out ticks as their head will dislodge from the body and remain in your skin which can cause a infection.. I kept the tool which enables you to grasp the head and remove the tick successfully .. I also was informed that if you get them out within 48 hours of being attached you have a pretty good chance of not getting Lyme disease,, the nurse at urgent care said that after that time the ticks become engorged and then vomit back inside you , that is when you are most likely to contract Lyme disease .. Ticks seem to be a big problem around hear in the last ten years .. I also heard , but have not tried ,, if you heat up a pin or a cigarette and touch the back of them , they will back themselves out..

Like stated above skin them and eat them as usual ,, I always check for ticks every time I shower after hunting ..

 

I'm not an expert but I heard that if you burn the tick, it will vomit and increase your chances of getting lyme's.

[Uncle Nicky]

I ran a deer processing business for a number of years. Deer have ticks, more so when it's warm out. If you're really concerned, spray your clothes down with  permithrin, wear rubber boots and an apron, and take a shower as soon as you're done processing the deer. I was lucky enough to never contract Lyme disease, but almost every processor I know got it once, some multiple times.

[fasteddie]

The guy said it had well over 40 ticks on it and he didn't want them in his garage as they can be dormant for over a year before they need another host . I should have asked him to take pics .

 

[burmjohn]

The guy said it had well over 40 ticks on it and he didn't want them in his garage as they can be dormant for over a year before they need another host . I should have asked him to take pics .

 

If he skinned it it wouldnt have been an issue to worry about

[wooly]

I've only ever run into a handful of ticks on deer I've shot and those were inside the ears so I just flicked them off with my knife blade.

Sounds like your buddies carcass was crawling with the suckers though. I wonder if he could have collected the majority of the visable ticks off with a strip of redneck flypaper...,aka.., duct tape?

Then peel them off and dip them in chocolate and you got yourself chocolate covered tic-tackies!

 

 

 

[Uncle Nicky]

The guy said it had well over 40 ticks on it and he didn't want them in his garage as they can be dormant for over a year before they need another host . I should have asked him to take pics .

 

I processed deer in the southeast corner of PA, the warmest part of the state. In this special regulations area, the season started mid-September. 40 ticks wasn't especially unusual during archery season, usually the armpit area was the most infested, there was no effect on the meat. Personally, I'd tell the guy to skin it outside ASAP, but sounds to me like he just wants to throw it on the side of the road? 

[nycredneck]

Deer I've shot had a bunch of ticks but once the body starts to cool they hightail it off of them.

[ATbuckhunter]

Skin the deer out then throw away or bury the hide. I would also suggest washing the deer just a little right after you skin it. 

[the blur]

I saw a few engorged ticks on my last deer.

[crappyice]

Is 40 a lot? He'll, I pick that many off my dog after bird hunting early season...PITA! I try to hang any deer over a tarp (corners pullued up a bit) so the ticks that do fall off while deer cools don't go running around the backyard where it hangs

[greensider]

i have seen deer so covered with ticks it makes you sick to look at them i skin and bag the skin as soon as i get them home this year i skinned a deer that had a lot of lice on it i will take the tick over the lice they fly off the deer and land on you and they are fast crawlers

[gfdeputy2]

Deer here in NH are loaded with them. We have taken deer that has had hundreds on them. Like others have said take precaution when dressing out the deer & get the hide off ASAP usually within an hour of the deer being dead the ticks will be dropping off as they need to live off a live host. also the hide skins better when the deer is warm

[Fletch]

Most deer have ticks. Nothing wrong with the deer. Hang over a tarp or big box as the deer cools they will vacate. Or take to butcher or skin like others said. Ticks are part of hunting if you have not seen any consider yourself lucky

Edited November 11, 2014 by Fletch

[wheelieman]

Every deer ive ever shot has had ticks, I just use my hoist and throw a tarp under the deer and spray it with permethrin, So if any ticks do fall that stuff should kill them before they infest the gsarage,

[Five Seasons]

why would you toss the deer? good hygeine says you really should be wearing nitrile or latex gloves while dressing/skinning anyhow. It's a few dollars at walmart for some thin plastic sheeting back in the paint section. Lay it down and do what you normally would and just make sure to watch your skin and take a shower after.

[steve863]

Every critter that gets consumed by humans has some sort of bugs or parasites on them.  Do you think domestic cows, pigs, chickens don't??