deer, deer, and more deer (in my garden) (Wildlife)

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Please help me before I go to Jail for shooting Bambi and all his friends out of season!!!!! These pesky critters eat everything, even plants they're not supose to even like. I've tried soap, human hair, pet hair, moth balls. Surely there must be something else besides building a castle wall around the place. Help me if you can.

-- rosemary lester (rosemarylester@citynet.net), February 15, 2002

Answers

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

Try a spray of hot pepper and soap; I have heard that horse manure is also a deturant, when all else fails buy a second freezer.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 15, 2002.

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

Most deterrents seem to hope that the smell will be repugnant to the deer, but I figure that hungry deer will only be kept out by fencing of some sort. Might try the 2 eggs to 1 cup of water and 1 cup of skim milk and spray this on the plants, this is a taste deterrent more than a smell deterrent

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

Tie the dog out near the garden.They will get tired of being harrased. tom

-- tom (wysfarm@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

You could get a dog. Keeping a radio playing outside worked for my in-laws. The racoons even stayed away. I have heard if you throw human hair around it will stop them. Ever thought about electric fence? I know some people who keep electric fence around their garden to keep the deer out. Hanging metal pans around so they make noise as they blow in the wind may also help. Trach bags make a lot of noise also. We hang things on out fences to make noise to help break our horses so they wont spook at strange noises.

-- the pooles (mpoole@link2000.net), February 15, 2002.

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

Castor Bean plant is supposed to be a deterrent as well. Every part of the plant is poisonous including the bean pod that forms. The plant is a very fast growing annual here, grows huge very quickly. I have heard of some people planting like a hedge of it. Deer won't cross it - apparently they won't go near it. I don't think I'd use it if I had small children.

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.


Response to deer, deer, and more deer

. . . and please keep your local game warden apprised of your situation. Many times, they are held responsible for removing problem animals from private properties after complaints have been made, especially if they cause property damages. Have a cup of coffee with them, they may be able to offer some solutions. I hope you find your answer here; deer can cause many problems.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), February 15, 2002.

Response to deer, deer, and more deer

ROSEMARY...GO TO A LOCAL WILD LIFE PARK AND GET SOME PREDATOR POOP. IF THE DEER THINK THAT COYOTES,WOLVES,COUGARS,LYNXAND EVEN BEAR ARE IN THE HOOD THEY WILL PROBABLY STAY AWAY.WHEN THE ANIMALS SHED THEIR WINTER COAT GATHER UP SOME OF THE HAIR.BEAR HAVE A STRONG SMELL.

CORDWOODGUY

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@juno.com), February 15, 2002.


Response to deer, deer, and more deer

rosemary, check your state laws to see if it allows shooting of deer that are damaging crops, even though it may be out of deer hunting season. What state are you in? I may be able to help you on this.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Rosemary, It seems simple. We are way out in the boonies, lots of wildlife. Basic out here: If we put out a buffet' for predators, aka "poultry", we build quarters to keep out the predators. If we plant a buffet' for the grazers, we build a fence to keep them out. Deer fence. Just take it for granted. It is available at hardware stores, farmers co-op, Home Depo etc. Why go through all the trouble of planting a nice garden without preparation, and then drive yourself crazy trying struggle agaist nature? It doesn't make any sense. That's like storing dog or cat food out on the porch and then getting all bent out of shape if stray dogs, raccoons and 'possums come and eat it. Duhhh, of course they do! None of these creatures has anything against you personally, they are just trying to make a living too. So, prepare for it and you won't have to sweat it. Incidently, my nearest neighbor has one of his dogs kenneled right next to his big garden,and keeps a radio on out there, just for the dog! LOL He still needs the deer fence. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 15, 2002.

putting the dog near the garden works best.

-- Walt K. in SW PA (kraterkrew@lcsys.net), February 15, 2002.


Try human urine. "mark the territory" around your garden. I'll leave it up to you to decide how best to do this but my method involves empty milk jugs in the bathroom and a dedicated pump sprayer along with just not walking back to the house when nature calls.

-- ray s (mmoetc@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Fence, fence, fence! 6' high on 12' posts with 8' above the ground, run a wire at the top. Our whole yard is fenced with 7' wire, as well as the garden.

-- hendo (redgate@echoweb.neth), February 15, 2002.

Human urine does work,keeps deer out of my parents garden..when he forgets for a few days,or it rains..they are back.It also keeps a fow out of the poultry pen..when my boys were little,they loved to "mark" around the hens fencing.We never had a fox attack after that..yes we saw them.Gives your little boys a good reason to use the outdoors!!

-- Michelle (davmic25 @hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.

If you don't feel like having a six to eight foot fence, try two four foot fences that are about 5 feet apart. If you're allowed to (zoning and all that) you could keep some chickens in that moat and have chicken/vegetable soup all winter! Deer don't like to do in-and- out jumps. I've had plenty of deer in my yard, including in my orchard which is right next to my garden, but they have never gone in the garden since I put up the double fence.

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), February 15, 2002.

I learned this trick from a forester named Don Omernick. We have trouble in the winter with the deer browsing on our young evergreen trees. Mix raw eggs and water, 50/50, in a blender. Apply the mixture on a sunny day so it dries to the plant. It is not easily washed off and seems to work pretty good for us. I apply it with a paint brush, but some use some kind of handsprayer.

-- clod hopper in wisconsin (brushfarmer@hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.


I don't know if this would work or not but a friend of mine who works in the library told me it works great. Buying old CD-ROM discs and hanging them from the fence. The light that bounces off the discs will scare the deer away from that area.

How about a pet wolf or dog? Bill

-- Bill Scott (billscotthobbyshop@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.


bloodmeal always works. the problem is it dosn't stay. I found that if you put it under cover in a sealed plastic bag, (small holes) and put more holes in it every week or so , it will leach enough oder to keep the critters out!

-- william Henry Szall (billisaszall@earthlink.net), February 15, 2002.

Michelle... great idea, that human urine thing... I always knew the nurse aide training on collecting pee in a cup would come in handy somewhere else...

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Deer can really jump, but you don't need a castle to keep them out. They wont jump where they can't land. If you build a fence place obstacles on either side of it like jumbled deadfall branches. this worked for me on an island where deer were introduced, and super- abundant. The deer really like a good take-off and landing; a broken leg means death in the forest-and bambi knows this. They also like to know what they are jumping into. A solid fence does not allow them a visual of the landing spot-they don't like that idea. The double fence idea works because the deer need room to land, and they need room to jump again if they get in. They like to have confidence in the situation before they will enter. Make them worried, be it piss, or no place to safely jump, and they wont enter.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), February 16, 2002.

I would have to disagree with the human urine conception. As a deer hunter I have made several mock scrapes using my own urine. Either they don't know the difference or they may think that I'm one heck of a stud.

I would agree with the fence with something to distract them from jumping. If you could build a fence with some type of a hedge growing about two or three feet inside all around. I don't think they would risk having to jump over on to it.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 16, 2002.


The double fence will work, because deer like to stand right beside the fence and just "flip" over. Pretty amazing.

What worked for us is: My husband bought flat metal strips (3/4 in. wide by 1/8 inch thick)about two feet long and bent them, 90 degree angle. He drilled two holes to attach them to fence, as well as 3/16 inch holes in the extended part, one inch and seven inches from end for threaded eyelets with a nut (for threading 12-gauge wire through). Last of all, white plastic strips (we cut up 13-gal. white kitchen garbage bags) were hung on the wires.

Result: The deer were alerted by the strips that the distance was too much for them to jump. Extension service fellow said you could actually do it with four foot fencing!! (Ours is six foot).

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), February 16, 2002.


Wow! So many answers, surely one of them will help. Thanks a bunch to all who took the time to respond. I truely appreciate all your help. Wish me better luck this year in keeping the deer away----Maybe that's exactly what I've needed all along! Sincere appreciation, Rosemary

-- rosemary (rosemary.lester@ citynet.net), February 17, 2002.

Now that you've heard all the answers, here's mine. I live in mule deer country and virtually the only 2 things that keeps them out of the garden patch is a hot wire - a top string, six feet off the ground or a chained up dog.

They'll prance around yer banging metal pans (which will give YOU the headache), and yer double fences, and shootin' at 'em only deters them for a few days (short-term memory). My niece once shot at them with a bb-gun only to have them return a few days later munching away; fox urine, they smell that every day so that doesn't work either. Some fella had a motion sensor with a loud siren on the trigger end. It kept the neighbors awake all night long, with the 'coons and dogs breaking the barrier. Too bad someone stole it. They advertised it for keeping bears away. It works for a while, until the bear eats it.

-- George (wycowboy2@yahoo.com), February 19, 2002.


The deer are so plentiful here that they stand and watch me work in the garden! DH rigged up a motion detector, a bright light and a radio wrapped in a plastic bag. That has worked for us for years. It also keeps raccoons out too.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), February 19, 2002.

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