Last year up here (Southern Tier of NY) they were terrible. Even a trip to across the lawn to the garden and back would mean ticks on my legs. This year I'm seeing FAR fewer. I think they drowned.

I killed two deer last year. The one I took with a bow was loaded with ticks (and also keds/louse flies). The gun buck - from 200 ft different location but one month later - had none at all.

If you don't own cats there are good Permethrin products you can treat your clothing with. THE ADMIRAL won't let me being that in, but we did get a Herbal Armor spray that seems to work. Lemongrass/citronella, cedar, etc.

I don't spray my hunting clothing but I do "quarantine" everything when I come in from the woods and blast the inner layers with 15 minutes in a hot clothes drier.