There's a common assumption that the first frost ends tick season. It doesn't. It ends the part of tick season most people notice, which is the tiny summer nymphs. What it starts is the part hunters should worry about.
Fall is adult deer tick season
Blacklegged ticks, the ones that carry Lyme disease, have a two-year life cycle. The nymphs that bite hikers in June grow into adults by fall, and adults are most active from October into December. They don't die off in the cold; they go quiet when it's below freezing and come right back out on any day that climbs into the 40s. Leaf litter, the base of tall grass, and brushy edges are where they wait.
Which is to say: a tree stand on a wooded edge, a ground blind in CRP grass, a drag through the brush at dusk. Every place a deer hunter spends time is adult tick habitat in its peak month.
How they actually get on you
Ticks don't jump or drop from trees. They climb. They sit on grass stems and low brush with their front legs out, wait for something to brush past, and grab on. That contact almost always happens below the knee. From there they crawl upward until they find skin, and the first open door they usually find is the gap between your boot top and your pant leg.
Close that gap and you've closed off the main route in.
Gaiters: the barrier that works when it's cold
In summer, people reach for spray. In November, you're wearing three layers, you don't want a chemical on your skin, and you're sitting still for hours, which is exactly when a tick has time to find its way up. A physical barrier doesn't wear off and doesn't care about the temperature.
Tick Protection Leg Gaiters seal the boot-to-pant gap and take the abuse of briars and brush on the walk in. They come in black for low profile or yellow for visibility in gun season. Pair them with Shoe Gaiters and there's nothing left below the knee to climb into. Both go on in seconds at the truck and off in seconds at the end of the day.
Treat the entry zone
Gaiters block the route. A botanical layer on top makes it less inviting. A quick mist of Tea Tree Shoe Spray on boots, socks and cuffs before you walk in takes ten seconds and lives in the door pocket of the truck all season. Spray plus gaiter is the belt-and-suspenders setup for tall grass.
The tick check still matters
Adult deer ticks are bigger than nymphs, about the size of a sesame seed, so they're easier to spot. Do the check in the truck or at home before you sit down for dinner: behind the knees, waistband, armpits, hairline, behind the ears. Check the dog too if it was in the woods.
If you find one attached, don't squeeze it with tweezers. A tick remover hook slides under the tick, twists once, and lifts it out whole without pressing the body against your skin. Keep the set on your keyring so it's with you at the trailhead, not in a drawer at home.
Gear that does double duty
A lot of cold-weather hunting apparel is already tick protection if you think about coverage. A long insulated jacket with a hood and sealed cuffs leaves no gap at the neck or wrist. A balaclava covers the neck and ears. Over-the-calf heated socks stay up under boots and close the same gap gaiters do. Dress for the cold with coverage in mind and you've dressed for ticks at the same time.
The November tick kit
- Leg Gaiters and Shoe Gaiters — seal the climb route
- Tea Tree Shoe Spray — treat the entry zone
- Tick Remover Hook Set — for the one that gets through
Tick season for hunters runs until the ground freezes hard. Gear up for it the way you gear up for the cold. Everything ships free, and orders over $200 take 15% off.