Deer tick discovery confirms existence of the parasite in N.D.
Excerpted from an article by Brad Dokken [ Grand Forks Herald ( Posted: 05/02/2010 )]
Just my luck, I’d pick up a deer tick less than a day after writing about how they were moving north and west. Now my skin was really crawling.
Still, we weren’t sure the parasite was indeed a deer tick. So, after killing it in rubbing alcohol, I photographed it alongside a common wood tick and sent it off to a handful of experts to get their thoughts.
Dave Neitzel of the Minnesota Department of Health was the first to reply. The smaller tick “most likely” was an adult deer tick, he said, although the photo was too dark for him to see all of the tick parts necessary to confirm the species.
I also contacted Nathan Russart, one of the university students working on the North Dakota tick study. He, too, said he couldn’t say for sure by looking at the picture, but since I’d saved the tick, he stopped by the office to pick it up.
His assessment: “That definitely was a deer tick,” he said.
Crandall said a grad student from the University of Illinois did a tick study at the park five years ago and found no deer ticks. Russart, by comparison, found two deer ticks in the park during a quick check earlier this month.
For the full article: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/159842/group/homepage/
Lyme Handbook 
Interesting start – I have actually had a tick fall off a bird and land on my arm.
Rob, I am trying to get a second opinion and was wondering if I can email you about a few options. It would be so helpful – I have met you a few times and you seem to be the one to ask! -Loren
Loren,
I’d be more than happy to help out in any way.
Call or email any time.
All the best,
Rob