Ticks on mountains

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Curve
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by Curve »

Cottonwood creek is filled to the brim with them. Along with the forests circling Sunshine, Redcloud, and Handies.
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by bunny256 »

In ~9 years of hiking/peakbagging in CO I had only ever seen one tick, but I've found 3 on me already this year. It does seem especially bad in the Sangres. 1 was from the North Crestone Creek trail and 2 from Cotton Creek, both involved bushwhacking near stream crossings.
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AndrewLyonsGeibel
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by AndrewLyonsGeibel »

It’s not clear from this, if people are actually plucking stuck ones or if they just find them crawling on them or their clothes. I’ve seen a few down lower in Colorado climbing on me but never had to actually pull one. In NE Oklahoma, probably pulled ten and brushed off 100 each year. No idea of what species though. It’s been way too long.
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greenonion
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by greenonion »

AndrewLyonsGeibel wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:33 pm It’s not clear from this, if people are actually plucking stuck ones or if they just find them crawling on them or their clothes. I’ve seen a few down lower in Colorado climbing on me but never had to actually pull one. In NE Oklahoma, probably pulled ten and brushed off 100 each year. No idea of what species though. It’s been way too long.
CBS news tonight had a segment on the ‘explosion’ of ticks this year across the US. Those crawling ticks will eventually burrow in. Little bastards
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SchralpTheGnar
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

FWIW, we camped along the creek by Missouri TH about 10 years ago, most of the good spots were taken so we took one that was infested with ticks, so much so that we moved camp. We saw a tick here in Highlands Ranch this year on my kids legs, first time for seeing that in 14 years living here, it's good to see some creatures are thriving in this new climate, good for them.
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Idahosummits
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by Idahosummits »

My wife and I found about 10 of them on us after hiking some peaks near Gunnison in May. Saw them on my socks around 8500' on the way up, in an area with a lot of deer about.
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Re: Ticks on mountains

Post by highpilgrim »

Idahosummits wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:17 am in an area with a lot of deer about.
There's the trick. Deer, cattle, and other large animals that are the big food source for a large population. Peeps are just incidental to that, mostly.

As long as they are large ticks, they're relatively easy to see, feel, and remove. Seed ticks are not. You can get 50 more and never find them all until the bite gets inflamed. Nasty things.
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