Why You Should Care About Ticks

Whether you’re backpacking through the Gros Ventre, leading an outdoor education course on the Bridger Teton National Forest, or guiding a boat down the Snake River, ticks are part of life in the Rockies. In Wyoming and Southeast Idaho, several tick species thrive in grasslands, pine forests, and sagebrush country. For outdoor professionals, backpackers, hikers, anglers, and families in the outdoors, understanding ticks, their behavior, and the diseases they carry is critical.

Primary types of ticks found in Jackson Wyoming and the much of the Rocky Mountain West.

The Main Offenders in the Mountain West

In Wyoming and SE Idaho, these species pose the biggest risk:

Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
Common in the Rocky Mountains at elevations between 4,000 and 10,000 feet.
Can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Colorado Tick Fever, and tick paralysis.
Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
Often found in and around homes, kennels, and structures—especially in warmer climates.
Primarily feeds on dogs but will bite humans. Can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Soft Tick (Ornithodoros spp.)
Typically found in rodent burrows, caves, and rustic cabins, especially in arid regions.
Known to transmit Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever. Bites are usually brief and may go unnoticed.

Most tick-borne illnesses in this region are not Lyme-related, but Colorado Tick Fever and RMSF deserve serious attention.

Questing Behavior: How Ticks Hunt You

Ticks don’t jump or fly. Instead, they “quest”—they climb grasses or shrubs, extend their clawed forelegs, and wait for a host to brush by. They detect heat, carbon dioxide, and vibration to target their host. Once aboard, they crawl until they find a moist, warm area to attach—often waistbands, armpits, hairlines, and behind the knees.

Tick “Questing” for a host on a blade of grass

Tick Bites in Wilderness Settings: First Aid Best Practices

Based on Wilderness Medical Associates and Wilderness Medical Society guidelines for delayed care:

1. Check Early, Check Often

Perform tick checks twice daily on trips and expeditions.
Focus on warm, hidden areas (groin, armpits, scalp, behind ears).
Inspect gear and pets too.

2. Safe Removal Technique

Use fine-tipped tweezers.

Grasp tick as close to skin as possible and pull straight back slowly.

Do not twist, burn, or smother with oils or Vaseline.

Clean site with iodine, alcohol, or soap and water.

Pro tip: Mark the bite site and date. Monitor for symptoms over 30 days.

Tick-Borne Illnesses in Wyoming & SE Idaho

1. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)

Incubation: 2–14 days
Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle pain, and a spotted rash (later stage)
Pro Tip: Treat any fever + recent tick exposure seriously. Evacuate if systemic symptoms arise.

2. Colorado Tick Fever

Incubation: 1–14 days
Often biphasic: fever resolves, then returns a few days later
No specific treatment; supportive care only
Not contagious person-to-person

3. Tick Paralysis

Rare, but rapid onset weakness or paralysis after tick bite
Resolves completely after tick is removed
Pro Tip: Remove tick and monitor airway/breathing—evacuate if symptoms don’t reverse quickly.

Long-Term Monitoring: When to Seek Medical Care

Evacuation or medical follow-up is recommended if:

Fever persists >24 hours post-bite
Neurological symptoms (weakness, confusion, paralysis) occur
Rash appears days after bite
Signs of local infection develop (redness, warmth, pus)

When in austere and wilderness settings you want to work at early recognition and make conservative evacuation decisions— “when in doubt, get them out”.

Personal Protection & Tick Avoidance

Treat clothes with 0.5% permethrin (lasts through several washes)
Use 20–30% DEET or picaridin on exposed skin (careful with deet on GoreTex, latex gaskets, and other rubberized items.
Wear light-colored clothing for visibility
Tuck pants into socks and or wear gaiters when bushwhacking
Stay in the middle of trails

Final Thought: Respect the Small Stuff

Ticks are tiny—and prevention is important. Understanding their behavior, disease risk, and how to handle bites will help you lead and enjoy safer, smarter trips in the backcountry. And maybe, just maybe, help you fear the little monsters a little less… at least a little bit.

Want to dive deeper on ticks and other wilderness medicine topics?

Ologies has a great podcast episode on ticks
Join us for a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder course in Jackson, Wyoming. Come and spend time with our expert instructors to get hands-on training in managing environmental exposures like ticks, heat, and more.
Follow us on Instagram @woundedbearmed for more weekly backcountry medicine tips.

Tiny Terrors: A Wilderness First Aid Guide to Ticks in the Rocky Mountains