Illinois Tick Alert: Hunters Asked to Help Track Invasive Species

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is asking deer hunters to submit tick samples from harvested white-tailed deer to help researchers track tick species across the state. The monitoring effort includes native ticks and the invasive Asian longhorned tick, with researchers seeking to identify counties where it may be established. Officials say deer can help reveal tick distribution, while noting that a tick’s presence does not mean it carries disease.