What's your favorite wearable bug dope to keep black flies off ?
The more deet it has the better it works but it's not good for you. Make sure you wash it off your hands anything you touch will deteriorate that means taking a leak if you know what I mean.
When they get bad nothing works.
There were years at reservoir gouin in quebec when we would each take turns smoking cigars in the boat to keep em at bay. In the bear baits it was full bug jackets and duct tape
Try a Thermacell. Can't beat them.
Muskol worked the best for us . Its mostly deet very strong also head nets and gloves .
I live in one of the "best" (LOL!) black fly areas there is.
My favourite lotion is "GREAT OUTDOORS - WATKINS", made in the U.S.A.
It's 30% DEET (which is plenty good), it doesn't melt plastic, it's relatively clean, not oily/greasy... and it works... for the vast majority of the time that there are bugs.
However, even though they won't bite you with the lotion on, there are certain days at certain spots where they can be so bad (almost indescribable) that it's hard to take a breath without inhaling some. Also, they're such bad pilots, (LOL!) that when they're really thick some will accidentally fly into your eyeballs and ears - at times like that I wear a head net.
If I'm stationary such as when I'm bear hunting from a natural ground blind, I use a Thermacell.
And I'm lucky because all things being equal, people say bugs seem to bother me less than they do them.
Therma Cell.......works great. Bear Quest #9 in June of 2015 I never even put a head net on and hunted in short sleeves.
UGH.....BLACK DEVILS....hate em.
Thermacell, and Bens's 100 when moving. Black flies don't just suck, they bite!
Head net, thermacell or deet. They make any outdoor activity very unpleasant up here. Really soon if you don't wear sunglasses you'll be getting them in your eyes every 10 minutes
If you can find Uncle Ben's insect repellent, buy it. It is 100% deet. I've never tried a Thermacell, but I'm going to purchase one. Nothing but good reports about them.
Regards,
Grouse
Another vote for Watkins... I back it up with a Thermo-cell and have survived 8 trips to Canada!
Good luck, shoot straight and God Bless,
Rodd
QuoteOriginally posted by Bill Carlsen:
Try a Thermacell. Can't beat them.
^^^^^^^^^
This!! I refuse to hunt without one!
I fought mosquitos and black flies with wearable repellent for years. Then tried thermacell. It is a miracle machine!!
Of course Thermacells are the best if you're hunting stationary. Everyone that has used them know they work great... I've dealt with them since their very beginning many years ago. Bowhunters from the U.S. brought the very first models up to my bear camp before most people had ever heard about them.
But, Graps asked about bug dope and what I was trying to say earlier was that when you walk, pack, stalk, work, or fish, etc. in bug country, in bug season, you need a plan "B".
Sometimes wearing a bug suit/headnet will be the answer but sometimes bug dope will suit the situation better.
The bug dope that is pure deet (or mostly) is terrible on equipment. In fact for a few years I had to put up with not seeing the gauges on one of my trucks (it was new at the time) because of hunters getting deet on the see through covers (obviously not glass).
In my unbiased opinion, and after trying all the ones in the stores over here, to me and others (including Canadian military people I know) feel that Watkins is as efficient as any and is more user friendly then pure liquid deet.
And there are no doubt, other excellent bug dope products out there.
I smoked a pipe in North Carolina. Blew big puffs of the smoke on my sleeves to keep insects off. Worked a little,but will check in the thermacell if I go back that way
Bear hunting you're not only baiting bears but also black flies. Gloves, headnet and lots of duck tape is all that worked for us in the old days. We also used some deet but the other stuff is what did the job.
I did four Bear Quests. A head net is a MUST and you need to wear a boonie hat underneath it to keep it off your ears. Ask me how I know.......califlower ears for about two weeks! You won't even know they're bitting you until it's too late and you're a bloody mess.
Two thermacells, one under the seat on the platform of the stand and one hanging in the tree head high.
They have Watkins bug dope up there but I stayed away from it. It'll take the finish off your bow and melt your rain gear.
And some Bowdoc repellant. Never found anything that worked :biglaugh:
Thermacells and Watkins...you can by the Watkins in Quebec. But, you are going to donate some blood no matter what. Just think of it as leaving a little bit of yourself in the bush. :)