Montana Mosquitos

[Southern Elk]

We were scouting for elk about a month ago in SW MT and the mosquitos were terrible. I live in MS and they were far worse than anything that I've ever seen. I'll be back out there in a few weeks and I was wondering if there's any chance that they won't be as bad then? I've never had a problem with them during archery season. I was thinking maybe they were so bad because of all of the water from the recent snow melt?

 

[RobG]

Mosquitoes should be down, but horseflies can be annoying. Light pants and long sleeves will keep them from biting, but rarely are they bad enough that I can't tough it out in shorts.

 

[James Riley]

Off topic (sorry) but I remember a nature documentary on the boob tube once. They had caribou in Alaska that were tormented, horribly. I could feel the pain. They would wade out into the water, head deep, and actually dunk their heads and stay out there till they damn near starved. I forget how much blood they lost per day but it was phenomenal. I think scientists actually study how the caribou build new blood so fast under such conditions. And remember, the sun never sets for days at a time up there.

I've never had problems with them while hunting, but I attribute that to my protocols for elk hunting. There was one time though, where I happened to be in the Raywah Wilderness (not hunting), where I sat down, cross-legged, and put my poncho on, just to see what might walk by and how still I could sit without moving. The only thing exposed was the back of my hands and I would pinch mosquitoes. After a couple of hours I had a pile of them on my poncho between my legs about six inches deep and a foot in diameter.

If you let one bite you and, as they start to fill, pull your skin tight, they can't get out and suck till they explode. Never done it myself, but that's what I was told. Urban legend?

Fish love them.

 

[Ben Long]

That ain't nothin. Where I hunt in Montana the mosquitoes get so bad you need to pack an extra pint bag of plasma. Horseflies that bite like fencing pliers. Better just to stay outta Montana all together. I hear North Dakota is nice...

 

[Southern Elk]

I didn't have to pack plasma because the mosquitos were so thick that I inhaled enough of them to offset the blood loss.

 

[idnative1948]

Good come back SE!

 

[brockel]

Hate to say it but I wouldn't mind the mosquitos to be around on the southeastern side of the state. At least that would mean we had some moisture. We are really dry over here. Hay fields look terrible.

 

[Clawsar]

Permethrin. Coat your clothes and pack then coat again. It's the only thing I've had luck fending them off at their worst. That said, it seems that September is never as bad as the May/June/early July time during runoff and snow melt. The Sawyers non-deet stuff is great to apply as you go out as well and doesn't have the deet smell.

 

[HighDesertSage]

I field tested this the other day: http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/11267.aspx?kw=buff&processor=content

It actually worked pretty good. The mosquitoes on the Grand Mesa can be brutal.