Deer Flies in the North Country

[billski]

buzz

Does DEET keep them away?

Depends how much blood you have. For some it does, for others not. They are more persistent than mosquitoes if you can imagine that. More apt to get a good piece of you.

Last hike I did with the tape, I got about 35-40 of the little beasts. I never got bit, 8 hours in the forests. There is a sadistic sort of satisfaction I get out of hearing them buzzing while stuck to the tape.

 

[dclynch]

Thanks.

That's what probably got my wife some years ago on Artist's Bluff. She had a nasty reaction to it. We thought it was a horse fly, but this makes more sense.

 

[peakbagger]

I have never heard that Deet has any effect on them. I havent observed it.

 

[ow2010]

You can't outrun them (except on the road on a bike, and even then they will draft for a while before dropping off).

You can't hit them by swinging your arms. And as Tim said they are tough; if you hit one with your hand you may knock it down for a moment, but it will get back up and fight.

So I don't run, or swing my arms.

They only way I can consistently kill them is to patiently wait until they land on my head, and start working their way through my hair to get to my scalp. Then I can crush them on my head. They don't get back up after that. That method requires good timing - strike too soon and they will dodge, strike too late and they will bite. I keep score (a kill is a point for me, a bite is a point for them). On days when my timing is good, I can come out of the woods with scores like 11 to 2. My best score was the first day on the NP trail a few years ago; I think I finished the day up 13 to 0.

But lately in the Lake George Wild Forest, they have been very bad. They are not just on your head, but on your hands, arms, etc. The other evening I was down 2-5, and I had to forfeit the game and put on my hooded jacket even though it was 85F.

I plan to try the fly strips soon!

TCD

This really made me laugh out loud...thanks for that!

I've never kept score, but I've tried this technique before...more often than not I just end up slapping myself on the head all day.

 

[Papa Bear]

Reflecting on the Marmaduke joke, I have found that putting something tall on my hat, such as a flag, peacock feather etc. that sticks way up past the top of your hat will keep the flies up and out of the way. Works. And no smelly chemicals are involved.

 

[peakbagger]

I hope to be picking blueberries Sunday. Normally this is the worst for deer flies unless there is a breeze. I have some of the sticky patches for my hat. I will report to deer fly to quarts of blueberry factor

 

[erugs]

We each had a piece of hiker microfiber towels and pretended they were like horses tails. It helped slightly. If your towel is one of the longer ones, it does more work than the shorter ones. Just a flick of the wrist towards alternating shoulders.

 

[peakbagger]

The testing for deer flie while blueberry picking has interesting results. I saw no deer flies of consequence on Andover Whitecap. THis was good as my bluberry total was minimla so any deerflies would have skewed the results. On the otherhand while pciking up firewoof in Milan near Cabot, my truck and I were swarmed.

 

[TDawg]

Tried to hike Albany Mtn from the south yesterday. Driving up the end of Birch Ave, my brothers car was swarmed by I'm guessing 500+ deer flies. We looked at each other and both agreed we weren't even gonna get out of the car. It was disgusting and looked like we were being attacked by bees. His dog, Tyson would have gone nuts.

We switched plans and hiked up to the Speckled Mtn ledges on Cold Brook trail instead where the flies weren't nearly as bad, but still vexing at times down low on Evergreen Link.

 

[Billy]

Deer flies in the North Country? Really?
Seen them run and hop, but never fly.

 

[NH Tramper]

Deer flies in the North Country? Really?
Seen them run and hop, but never fly.

Lol, what's next, Elephant flies?

 

[billski]

DF's

Deer flies in the North Country? Really?
Seen them run and hop, but never fly.

Now wait a minute. The North country is pretty close to to the North Pole. It's my understanding that according to academic literature, black flies are so stressful to caribou that they have not been able to mate. So deer have been conscripted for the December 24th job.

 

[marty]

Now wait a minute. The North country is pretty close to to the North Pole. It's my understanding that according to academic literature, black flies are so stressful to caribou that they have not been able to mate. So deer have been conscripted for the December 24th job.

That's pretty funny! In prior days, I would have sent you a greenie for that....

My wife and I were in Rangeley last week. The deer flies were out, but only part of the time. They were only horrific on Monday, July 16, where I suffered multiple wounds on my back when mountain biking. Those evil things bit right through my shirt.

Marty

 

[rup]

After all these umpty years, I was finally tagged by one of those ba####ds last week. Man, that HURT!

 

[billski]

strip.

After all these umpty years, I was finally tagged by one of those ba####ds last week. Man, that HURT!

Well, I'm heading up on Monday after a hike in the Presidentials on Saturday. You can be sure that I have over a dozen of those sticky tape strips at the ready.

I heard an anecdotal account that putting something tall above your head also does a good job of keeping them at bay. I'm not so sure about that.
You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. If you must have a war, let it begin here!