There is a lot of information, as well as misinformation, out there about control of ticks so it can be difficult to find out what to do. In adition many companies with products to sell weigh in.
One web site says to keep all wild animals and birds out of your yard and do not allow your pets and children to go into the woods, about as useful information as being hit on the head.
Poultry can help control ticks, as well as other insect pests, if you are permitted to have them. Pyrethrin based dusts are known to help, although since those are very broad spectrum poisons they should be considered a last resort item. Garlic powders are reported to be quite good at control, although your yard may smell like a pizza parlor for some time. Perhaps this web site would be of some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: organic tick control

Although Ticks are dormant on the coldest days of the winter, they do not hibernate and come out on any warm winter days.
Guinea hens do love to eat ticks but they are very noisy.

The most comprehensive tick management research I know of is by Kirby C. Stafford of the Ct. Agricultural Experiment Station. For some reason the links to this site are not working today so I have not given you links. They usually are fine though.