Disc Golf, Ticks and Lyme Disease – A Complete Guide

In this post we will be looking into disc golf, ticks and Lyme Disease. Unfortunately, given the setting of disc golf courses, ticks can be a common occurrence. Let’s look into prevention as well as what to do if a tick does bite you. Also, as a disclaimer of sorts, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am NOT a doctor. All of my information has been gathered from personal experience, discussions with doctors, and what I’ve found through research. From what I have gathered, this is an imperfect science, but to get the most current information, always consult a doctor.

In disc golf, one of the most prominent figures we have, Ricky Wysocki, is also an unfortunate cautionary tale for Lyme Disease. I’ve watched a few coverages where I’ve heard about how Ricky Wysocki’s knee is swollen to “double its normal size”, due to a tick bite and bout with Lyme disease that happened many years prior.

Obviously, we want to prevent this for ourselves. Personally, I’ve had a few run-ins with Lyme myself. I live in a heavily wooded area, and I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve picked off double-digit amounts of ticks after simply walking the dog for 20 minutes.

It’s gotten to the point where I avoid those paths for certain seasons. Around here, in Western Massachusetts, we’ve come to disdainfully refer to these periods of time as “tick season”.

As I’ve already said, I’m no doctor. Please consult a medical professional if you have any doubts at all. The information I’ve gathered and will present is “hard-earned” so to speak. It’s what I’ve gathered from my own experiences and research. I hope you find it useful and it helps you stave off this potentially debilitating disease.

Let’s look at methods for prevention, and what to do if you find a tick in you.

An ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure!

I’m a big subscriber to the addage that an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”! Because this is an imperfect science, there is a high degree of uncertainty that follows a tick bite. I’ll certainly take you through what you should consider if you find a tick in you, but the best treatment, by far, is prevention.

With that in mind, let’s look at what ticks are, where they live, when they’re most active, what deters them and more information so you can set yourself up for success.

Tick prevention is a bit of a numbers game. It sounds obvious, but the less ticks you expose yourself to the less likelihood that you will get bitten.

With that in mind, let’s learn all we can about ticks and how to prevent them from getting to you!

Information on Ticks

Ticks are in the arachnid family. They are 8-legged parasites that feed on the blood of their host for nourishment. It turns out that they only need about 3 whole meals in their lifetime as they transition between stages and reproduce (larvae to nymph, nymph to adult, then egg-laying for females). They burrow in, load up on blood (takes about 3 days) and then fall off of their host.

For more specifics on how they operate, here‘s an article with a video showing the mechanics of how they feed.

Identifying Different types of ticks

There are many types of ticks that live in different regions of North America. For our purposes I will be focusing on two of the most common types of ticks that are found, dog ticks and deer ticks.

Because I don’t live in the south, I’m less familiar with some of the common ticks down there so I won’t weigh in on those. However, if you have information that you think I should include, let me know and I will.

Also, this post here, has information on the many varieties of ticks that you can find in the various regions of our continent. It also tells you the different diseases each tick has the potential to carry.

Let’s take a closer look at the dog tick and the deer tick. One of them(the deer tick), is the biggest carrier of Lyme Disease so let’s be sure we can differentiate it from the dog tick.

Deer Tick versus Dog Tick

In the image on the left you can get a look at the difference between dog ticks and deer ticks for both genders.

I’ve also photographed my beautiful pinky for scale.

Deer ticks (aka blacklegged ticks”) are the ones that carry Lyme disease. As you can see, the female is larger than the male and has a reddish portion on their back. The male is smaller and virtually solid black.

It’s a little harder to see but the dog tick has a distinct pattern on the its back (especially the male) that helps you distinguish rather easily between dog and deer ticks.

Dog ticks are no angels either. They can carry diseases as well. You’ll want to prevent them and remove them safely if they do bite you (more on this later).

Dog ticks are not known to carry Lyme disease, however. So, for the purposes of this post, we won’t focus on them quite as much. This article here, has good information on them if you want to learn more. It also has good photos so you can see what they look like more clearly.

Environment for Ticks

Ticks thrive in warm, moist environments. The tick season near me in the Northeast usually starts in mid/late March and carries through the Summer. However, because summers can have that hot, grass-scorching weather, I usually encounter far fewer in the dead of summer. At this point, they are probably deeper in the woods (leaf debris is a popular spot as well).

Simply put, disc golf courses are great environments for ticks, and you should take caution when you are playing a round.

When I see tall grasses and bushes, I am extra alert and try to avoid those when possible. The reality is that I’m not going to let the ticks prevent me from playing. I’m assuming the same is true for you.

The other reality is that I don’t always put my shots where I want them to go! As a result, ticks are an unfortunate hazard of the game.

We should avoid their ideal spots as best we can, but there are other measures we can take to keep ourselves safe as well.

Tick Repellent

Ticks find a host using various senses. They sense motion, heat, vibration, breath and body odor. The last one, body odor, is one we can use to our advantage.

We can spray chemicals on our skin and clothes to repel ticks. We can also find more natural odors, such as repellents with essential oils. Or, you can do both and make extra certain. The good news is that these repellents will usually also help repel other pests such as mosquitoes.

Personally, for tick prevention, I like to make extra sure that my pants are loaded up with repellent. If ticks are in these tall grasses and latch on as you pass by, then I like to make my pants as uninviting as possible.

Let’s look at some of the chemicals that are known to repel ticks.

Chemical Repellents for Ticks

DEET – DEET is the most common chemical found in many insect repellents. It’s often used to repel mosquitoes as well. OFF is probably the most classic brand you’ve heard of that uses DEET. Luckily, it has a dual function and repels ticks. You can spray it on clothes or skin. And hopefully it will keep that mosquito from buzzing your ear in your backswing…

Picaridin – Apparently this chemical is best for preventing deer ticks. Those are the ticks that carry Lyme Disease. It can also be applied to your skin or clothing.

Permethrin – This is an interesting one! Permethrin is odorless and goes on your clothing! It’s apparently not bad for your skin but the chemical breaks down on your skin and becomes ineffective after 15 minutes or so. But, if you spray it on your clothing, it can last for many wash cycles.

It works by “overexciting” the insects nervous system, eventually causing them to get paralyzed and die. It’s also tested to be safe for humans.

Here’s how it can be so effective! If you have designated disc golf pants and shoes. you can spray those with permethrin and keep reusing them without having to reapply. That’s a low-maintenance option that I really appreciate!

I personally use this for my clothing. I also use it to prevent ticks in my yard through a rather ingenious mechanism that I’ll tell you about later (not my idea! Not calling myself a genius! Look for “tick tubes” later on to see how this works…).

All the chemicals above are EPA certified as safe for humans. Nevertheless, I don’t blame you if you get a little squeamish around the word “chemical”. With that in mind let’s look at some more natural repellents you can use as well…

More Natural Tick Repellents

I wrote “more” natural, because I’m not doing lab tests on these things. I’m a freaking disc golf blogger for crying out loud! I’m just trying to be helpful! All kidding aside, I’m putting a little faith in what I’ve read that 1. These things are more natural and 2. That they actually repel ticks. I have not done my lab tests and I’m not reading too many scholarly articles on the matter. At the very least I’m assuming that they don’t attract ticks.

That would suck.

From what I gathered, there are a number of essential oils that you can spray on your clothing to repel ticks. Hopefully that means, as you are passing by a tick, they will take in your scent and say “no thank you”. Or, should they decide to latch on, they will smell your musk and reverse their decision.

Also, there are a lot of essential oils listed as tick repellents but not all the sources agree. I have tried to triangulate many sources to get you oils that most sites agree on. They are as follows…

Tick Repelling Essential Oils

Citronella – This is also an unpopular one for mosquitos. Citronella candles are often burned to keep mosquitos at bay when people are outside during the mosquito witching hours (dusk). When applied to skin or clothing the protection can last up to 3 hours. I typically reapply after 2 hours. Luckily, 2 hours is about how long a round of disc golf takes. Unless I’m playing multiple rounds, I only need to apply this once.

Cedarwood – This is another essential oil that I see coming up in many sites. It’s apparently “toxic” to ticks and their larvae, but safe for humans. It’s one that I’ve heard for a while and is also common in natural lawn sprays. Also, I quite like the smell of it.

Oregano – Oregano Essential oil has a chemical called “cedrol” in it. This is also found in the cedarwood essential oil as well. This is the toxic stuff for ticks that should work to repel them.

Other Tick Repelling Essential Oils – Where there’s smoke there’s fire!

Here are some other essential oils that I’ve found on multiple sources that could also help you repel ticks.

Garlic Oil, Peppermint Oil, Thyme oil, Clove oil, Eucalyptus oil, Lavender oil, Pennyroyal oil, Lemongrass oil, and Neem oil.

You can make your own concoction or you can usually buy a pre-made mixture as well (much easier!).

There are no guarantees that these repellents are foolproof right? With that in mind, there are other precautions we should take as well. Let’s look!

Check for Ticks!

Seeing as ticks are mostly black, you are going to have a better chance of spotting ticks if you where white, or light-colored, clothing.

I would recommend you give a quick once-over a few times during a round (especially during tick season) and a more thorough check before you shower.

Personally, during high season, I just assume there are ticks on my clothing. As a result, I leave said clothing outside and then check myself thoroughly before the shower.

I’ve had ticks begin to dig in on many parts of me so be sure to check every square inch. But, that being said, the most common spots are the legs, groin/crotch, back of neck (I get them right where the hairline begins), scalp and armpits. Basically, hairier parts of your body.

Do a thorough check, then shower! Showering can be shown to reduce likelihood of a tick bite. Whether you knock them off or deter them with a blast of hot water and soap, I don’t know, but showering is good!

Preventing a bite is our best bet for preventing Lyme Disease and other tick-borne illnesses. So be sure to check thoroughly!

Now, let’s see what our options are if we do happen to get a bite…

What to Do if a Tick Bites You?

If a tick bites you, you will want to safely remove it as quickly as possible. Time that a tick is in you is one variable that you can control according to the research. Many of the bacterial tick-borne illnesses live deep in the tick’s gut. According to many sources it is when the tick is engorged with your blood that the bacteria from the gut can flow into your bloodstream.

Again, this is an imperfect science, but most sources say that your risk is dramatically reduced if you safely remove a tick within 24-48 hours of the bite.

Personally, I don’t want any part of that time frame. I want that thing out of me ASAP! This is why I think it’s important to check daily, and especially after a round of disc golf.

Let’s look at the best ways to get a tick out of you, if it does bite you.

Safely Removing a tick

There is a lot of information out there about removing ticks. Some sources talk about dish soap or vaseline to “suffocate” the tick and force it to back out. I don’t know about those methods. Anecdotally, I’ve heard those methods didn’t work fast enough and can take many hours.

That method is not for me. Personally, I want a good pair of tweezers and a tube of Neosporin (antibiotic ointment.)

Remember how we said that bacteria that cause Lyme disease can live deep in the tick’s gut? For this reason, we DO NOT want to pull, grab or squeeze the tick’s body when we remove it. That could, in theory, be injecting some of that illness into your bloodstream.

Instead, you want to take the tweezers, grab the tick at the head as close to your skin as possible, and pull directly outward. Apparently, the tick borne illnesses are not found on the mouth so that is not the concern for leaving part of the tick imbedded in you. In theory, this only increases the chance of the bite getting infected.

Once you have the tick, you will want to examine it and decide what to do next.

1. Decide what type of tick it is, deer, dog or other?
2. Try and determine how engorged it is. This will give you a rough estimate of how long it’s been in you. If it’s blown up like a balloon, or partially so, you may want to take further precautions.
3. Finally, decide what to do with it. You can send it into a lab to be tested for disease. Your closest lab is a quick google-search away. Around me, this is typically $50 and because we get so many, I don’t use this method. That means I determine what type of tick, see how engorged it is, and then dispose of it.

Next, after I have removed and disposed of the tick (flush it down the toilet or put it in the “tick jar” like us and fill it with some vodka), I immediately smother the bite with antibiotic cream. This will reduce the risk of infection and, in my mind, it helps kill any tick-borne illness-causing bacteria that might be lingering.

What to do if the Tick is Engorged?

If the tick is engorged, according to the research, you have a higher likelihood that it will have had time to transmit some of these illnesses that it may be carrying (note: not all ticks carry disease but you neve know which ones do! More on this later…)

This is where it comes down to personal preference. You may decide that you want to send it in to be tested (you may decide this for any bite, engorged or not. You do you!).

Another option is for you to reach out to your doctor and ask for a quick dose of antibiotics. Some studies show that risk of Lyme goes down considerably with one larger dose (200 mg for adults) of doxycycline given right after the tick is discovered and removed. In theory, the bacteria will not have had time to spread and multiply so one big dose can knock it out.

You can also discuss options with your doctor as well. Here’s what I do.

What I do When a tick Bites Me

1. Safely remove with tweezers at the head and smother the bite in Neosporin
2. Determine what type of tick it is (deer, dog, or other).
3. Determine how engorged with blood it is.

If it’s a deer and not engorged I monitor the area of the bite (and my symptoms) for weeks afterwards.

If the deer tick is partially engorged, I take a 200mg dose of doxycycline and then monitor for weeks afterwards.

I take this route because I’m playing the numbers a little (more on this later). There are symptoms of Lyme disease that manifest in most people. So, I monitor for those and take other precautions to limit my risks as much as I can without expensive labs. You can do what you think is best for you however. If you’re ever in doubt, definitely consult a doctor.

Let’s look at the symptoms of Lyme disease so we can know what to look for.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is one of those diseases that you want to catch early and treat before it can “take root”. From what I understand, the longer you have it, the harder it is to get rid of.

So, with that in mind, I always monitor for symptoms after a deer tick (and other ticks but looking for different symptoms) has bitten me.

Keeping consistent with the “imperfect science” theme that is prevalent throughout this post, the symptoms of Lyme can occur between 3 and 30 days after a tick bite. That’s a lot to monitor. So, if you are in doubt, consult your doctor.

Lyme Disease symptoms include headache, fatigue, fever and the classic “bullseye rash” (erythema migrans). This is all according to this post by the CDC.

When I got Lyme I was holed up in bed, pre-Covid and during the summer, with a good fever. Luckily, I connected the two dots (tick bite and fever) and got tested/treated for Lyme (2 weeks of antibiotics is the typical treatment for Lyme caught early).

As far as I know, I didn’t get the bullseye rash, but you should know what it looks like. I don’t like looking at rashes any more than the next person, but the first one on this page of the CDC isn’t too bad and gives you a feel for what that bullseye looks like.

The Math of Lyme Disease

I feel like I’ve put a hundred disclaimers in here, but here’s one more. I’m not a doctor. This is an imperfect science. Consult a doctor to make your own decisions on what is best for you.

With that out of the way, here are some general figures that actually reassure me so I’m not going to the doctor every 3 days during tick season.

1. The CDC says that the classic bullseye rash occurs in 70-80% of people with Lyme. Other sources differ considerably. One goes as low as 27%. What are we supposed to do with that? I suppose we can meet in the middle and say 50%? Either way, if you do NOT have the rash we can say it’s less likely you have Lyme.
2. Between 1% and 50% of deer ticks carry Lyme disease, depending on the region. One thing you could do is look up the prevalence of Lyme in your region and see how common it is. According to this map by the CDC, Lyme is more common (or at least reported more) in the Northeast and expanding along the north out to Minnesota or so… If you get a bite in those regions you may be more susceptible.
3. In most cases, the tick has to be in you for 24-48 hours before Lyme can be transmitted. If you remove it fast and carefully you are decreasing your chances there as well.

If you put it all together, then by removing the tick early, not getting a rash, and getting the tick in you in regions where Lyme is less prevalent, you can significantly put the odds in your favor.

Then, if you take a dose of antibiotic shortly after you remove the tick, you put the math even more in your favor. This is my line of thinking for when I remove ticks. I’ve gotten way better at prevention. Still, I occasionally find them in me and try to assess case by case based on the math. I have a preventative dose of doxycycline in my house so I can take it ASAP should I deem it necessary.

Other precautions to take

I’ve written a post already on how much I’ve enjoyed taking my dog out on the disc golf course. You can find it here. Having a dog, however, does increase the chances that a tick will enter into your home.

So, be sure to check your canine companion thoroughly after each walk in a high tick-density habitat. You can also find sprays that deter ticks from getting on your dog as well.

Another thing to keep in mind is your own back yard. By keeping your lawn short and free of leaf debris, you can makeyour lawn far less inviting for ticks. If you want, take it a step further and spray your lawn with some products like Wondercide that have essential oils in them that deter ticks as well.

Finally, remember that chemical permethrin that you can spray on your clothes? There’s a pretty ingenius invention you can buy or make to kill ticks nearby as well. They are called tick tubes. Basically, because ticks are often found on rodents like mice, if you can get the permethrin on the mice, you can kill the ticks. So, what you do is put out cotton balls (in tubes) that are soaked (and dried) with permethrin. The mice take the cotton balls to build their nests. This means they are constantly coating themselves with permethrin, thus killing the ticks near your house! Brilliant right?

Disc Golf, Ticks and Lyme Disease – In Summary

The natural habitat for disc golfers unfortunately happens to overlap with the natural habitats of ticks.

When you know you will be out in an area of higher tick density, it is best to try your best to prevent ticks from getting on you. This means avoiding areas such as tall grasses as much as possible. It also means wearing repellents and checking yourself frequently for ticks. Your best bet is always prevention.

If you do find a tick in you, identify what type of tick it is after you remove it safely.. Then, try and gauge how engorged it is with blood. This will give you an idea of how long it has been in you. It will also be useful information for your doctor (whom you should consult). Finally, no matter what course you take (antibiotics or otherwise), be sure to monitor for symptoms of Lyme disease (fever, headache, fatigue) and rashes.

With Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness you will want to catch it and treat it as soon as possible.

Ticks are a natural hazard for many of us out on the disc golf courses. However, by taking preventative measures and getting early treatments when necessary, we can be sure to keep to keep ticks at bay so we can focus on having a good time out on the disc golf course!

Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you found this to be helpful. If there is anything you want me to consider or questions you still have, feel free to let me know in the comments. As you may have guessed, this is not my favorite topic to be writing about. But it’s an important one and I hope it can help prevent some tick-related issues for some you. Moving forward, I hope to keep concentrating posts on topics more directly related to disc golf. If you would like to come along for the journey then be sure to subscribe and get posts from DiscGolfAround delivered right to your inbox.