Originally Posted By: WabbitstalkerI can’t tell if that question was rhetorical. But having no experience with fleas and I have no idea what to look for other than hair falling out. I just figured I’d wake up one morning with an itchy head and bugs crawling all over and a really mad wife.
Some where around the first or second heavy frost wild animals external parasites will die off. This includes fleas, ticks and {I don't know thew scientific name for them, but...} those nasty things we always called "wolves" that live under the skin of rabbits and squirrels. I have also heard them called "warbles" by some folks. I think they are some kind of fly larvae. Once it gets cold out all those kinds of parasites can no longer live on animals. This prompted us to wait until later in the fall to start squirrel hunting.
By the time hides are prime, which is not until around Christmas time here, I am sure it's earlier up in Mn. you shouldn't have to worry about things like fleas on coyotes. Again, even if it's warm enough, the fleas bail out as soon as the animal dies and it's body temperature drops a little. Ticks are different, they drop off too, but not as fast and many will hang on and die right where they were stuck. When you kill a coyote look on his belly...if you see fleas just let him lay there for 5 minutes...they will be gone.
Edit: "Having no experience with fleas..." I am surprised you guys even have them up there on wild animals given the harsh winters. I lived in in the mountains of Pa. for two years and did not see a tick or flea on wild animals or domestic. They might have had them, but I did not see one the entire two years. Also, if you have fleas you wont have to worry about "waking up"...you will never get to sleep.