Deer question

Lots of deer in the neighborhood. In your experience, if you plant deer resistant plants along with plants deer like, are they smart enough to find the ones they like amongst the ones they don't ?

This might be a silly question, to some, but I really don't know the answer. Thank you.

Reply to
Jack
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Based on my experience so far, they observe us from a distance during the day, make note of which plants we seem to love the most, and then target those plants and night.

Pass the ammo.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

some species are like salad to them ...last season I was watching from this puter desk at 4 in afternoon on a sunny day watching two full size deer munching my tulips down to the ground ...mid summer they were eating sunflower plants that were four feet high ..they love to dig thru snow to munch on neighbors myrtle, but only eat the leaves and the plants come back in full. Iris only when fresh sprouts are 5 inches high. They wont touch daffodils

depending on how harsh the winter ..they will eat rhodadendron ..flower buds and leaves

netting is a pain to put up and take down/store

my solution ...single strand of electric fence wire wrapped around 24 inch fiberglass tent pole section ( spool of surplus fine guage bare wire... rewind around coffee can for reuse) ...I move it from decorative foundation plants in winter to veg garden in summer

Stew Corman from sunny Endicott

Reply to
scorman

Would also be my response. In worst part of winter they will eat anything. Deer never starve without a full stomach - full of vegetation that supplies little nutrients to them.

Reply to
Frank Logullo

How high do you place your wire for deer? I'm headed to a farm supply store this week, and without advice, I'll probably do my usual overkill. In this case, that would mean wire every 12" beginning at ground level, up to about

10 feet, and a separate set of supports for razor wire and grenades. But I suspect I don't need to get quite that involved.
Reply to
Doug Kanter

In the wilderness, far from people, what's their version of a half gallon of ice cream? Berries?

Reply to
Doug Kanter

watching from

two full size

they were

love to dig

leaves and the

are 5 inches

rhodadendron ..flower

wrapped around 24

guage bare

from

summer

How high do you place your wire for deer? I'm headed to a farm supply store this week, and without advice, I'll probably do my usual overkill. In this case, that would mean wire every 12" beginning at ground level, up to about

10 feet, and a separate set of supports for razor wire and grenades. But I suspect I don't need to get quite that involved.
Reply to
Boots

Deer love acorns. Also, place I used to hunt had wild old apple tree in woods before corn field. Deer would stop at this tree before going after the corn. I fight with the local deer over my chestnuts. One afternoon I had to chase them away 4 times even to the point of throwing a rock at them. Deer are browsers and the whole world is a buffet line to them ;) Frank

Reply to
Frank Logullo

"How high do you place your wire for deer? "

around the front yard for decoratives ie tulips and myrtle, a single strand about 20 inches high was sufficient. For taller shrubs and rhodadendrun a second strand at 3 feet did the job, but was placed two feet in front of shrubs so they couldn't eat over it.

neighbor has fancy daylily beds 40 feet across ...that single 3 foot strand keeps them out

note: they don't jump over a live wire ..they munch on grass nearby and meander towards the good stuff ...either their ears or wet nose tounch the fence and they bolts backwards 10+ feet ...something to watch

if you try to keep rabbits out with a low wire ie 6 inches ...you better mulch down that area so weeds don't short it out

I leave mine on 24/7 at garden unless I am there and then I turn it off

BTW ..I am NOT talking about running barbwire type weight heavy wire ...I got a 1000ft spool of cheap surplus galvanized steel fine guage wire that is strong enough so you can't just break it in your hands ...easy to handle and wind up ..if you are buying from farm supply, get the lightest and cheapest they sell.

Stew Corman from sunny Endicott

Reply to
scorman

On Mon, 09 May 2005 13:53:29 GMT, "Doug Kanter"

I use the temporary stakes the farm store sells. Put up one wire at

24 inches or so around whatever you want to keep. Do not use electric tape, if they can see it, they will jump it. I've also put wire around the edges of the yard, and move it around enough so they will trip over it. I'm using my spare weed burner fence controller, so it's a good jolt. They have mostly moved onto the easier pickings down the road...

And speaking of down the road, Dennis is shooting them with a paint ball gun. He says he has few problems now. I will tell you that they are much easier to see spotted with fluorescent paint. Makes driving safer when you can see them waiting to jump out in front of the truck.

Reply to
Tuck

You guys need a bigger freezer.

Reply to
bamboo

I know what you mean. I'd be perfectly happy with camping in the yard and waiting for them with a shotgun, but unfortunately, I have neighbors who like to complain about the littlest things.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Here in Pennsylvania, the game local game warden actually recommends that people in urban areas get their neighbors to get a licensed hunter to get permission to reduce a nuisance herd. The game commission authorizes the hunter to do this. The hunter gets signed waivers from the home owners waiving the restriction on hunting near homes. Then the licensed hunter gets on a roof of a home and shoots them with a bow and arrow or cross bow. Since he is shooting down toward the ground, even if he misses, there is no risk as long as pets and children are kept in. Usually this is done at night, so the children are in bed asleep. In some areas it can be done during the day; the deer are that bold. The risk of lyme disease is much worse than the risk of having a archer-sniper reducing the herd. That is the only control the game commissioner says works here other than 7' high fences. He says that he has seen them eventually figure out every other type of control.

Reply to
Stephen Henning

I have a neighbor who bow hunts, and practices by hitting bottle caps from about 75', successfully, I might add. Maybe he's interested....

My town brings in hunters for herd control, but only in a large park area about 5 miles away. Not enough, though.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

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