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Zmoore 7/2/2015, 8:23 am

Razzin Frazzin... UGH! Do you see this! My strawberry patch. Deer have actually nudged the cage I built to get at the strawberries along the outside edge.
For the strawberries in the center this must be like being in a shark cage and watching the monsters circling cage and grabbing all you buddies unfortunate enough to be along the outside edge of the cage.
ARRRRGH!!!!! I bet I'd look good in a deer skin jacket.

Back to the drawing board. Guess I need some sort of fastening system. ugh.

herblover 7/2/2015, 8:26 am

I feel your pain; they have been feasting on my daylilies and impatiens and I noticed some gnawing on my tomato plants last night. Sprayed everything with hot pepper spray which works pretty well.

**AtlantaMarie** 7/2/2015, 8:29 am

I'm so sorry, Zmoore...

Razed Bed 7/2/2015, 9:46 am

*!!@##$$ Deer

You left out a few &% and +

The dang brats have too good a press agent. Mr. Disney made the public think they are soooo cute. Having 15 deer in your property is a guarantee that something will happen. If it isn't your garden, it's whatever else you have on your patio, like a grill grease trap, a bag of hickory chunks, or in the case of my wife on Tuesday, her herbal tea that she left on the table when the phone rang and she went back inside to answer it.

Come to think of it, I didn't like Rob Deer when he played in the Majors. And, I am not a big fan of Joe Buck either.

**llama momma** 7/2/2015, 10:05 am

Zmoore wrote:

Back to the drawing board. Guess I need some sort of fastening system. ugh.

For a quick fix grab some wooden paint can stirrers. Stick them vertically along the wood sides. The resistance is enough to keep the wind and I'm guessing the deer too from pushing around.

Marc Iverson 7/2/2015, 3:52 pm

Good idea, LM.

I was going to suggest clamps from the dollar store.

I'm actually surprised deer that got that close did that little damage.

Zmoore 7/2/2015, 4:03 pm

Thank you llama mama, that's simply brilliant.

Marc, good point, especially when you consider this is what I'm actually dealing with

**sanderson** 7/2/2015, 4:35 pm

When I see a herd like this on someone's property, I can only think of ticks!

**AtlantaMarie** 7/2/2015, 6:29 pm

Oh, my... That's a BUNCH of deer... Reminds me of that video of the couple in TX who feeds about 15 deer breakfast every morning. Oatmeal. On a table.

LLM - I agree - Brilliant!

greatgranny 7/2/2015, 6:48 pm

Bow hunting?????

point 7/2/2015, 6:55 pm

I use 16" long stakes or 3/4" thick bamboo to secure the corners. Just pound part of the stakes into the insides of the corners, enough that only 3 or 4" show above the edge of the box. If they're taller, you may have a hard time lifting the whole "lid" on or off, especially if you're short.

At least your deer didn't trample the structure itself.

I have also filled knee-highs with human hair and hung only two of them on the chicken wire that's the very flimsy-looking fence for 6 of my boxes. The chipmunks run through the chicken wire and laugh at me, but the deer really seem to dislike the hair.

We really have a small herd, though. Six, tops.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/2/2015, 10:15 pm

sanderson wrote:When I see a herd like this on someone's property, I can only think of ticks!

When I see a herd like that on someone's lawn it usually means massive development and resultant habitat loss. They have few options as a herd.

Not that I wouldn't be POd about it.....

Marc Iverson 7/3/2015, 3:36 am

sanderson wrote:When I see a herd like this on someone's property, I can only think of ticks!

I spoke to a guy who won't even eat the deer around here. They're exposed to so many toxins, he says, that you can cut them open and some of their flesh is dyed green and smells very strange. And that's out here in wild/rural Oregon!

**sanderson** 7/3/2015, 3:59 am

Weird.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/3/2015, 6:56 am

Very weird.....that is really awful.

**AtlantaMarie** 7/3/2015, 7:38 am

eeeewwww...

TCgardening 7/3/2015, 6:27 pm

I'm with Great Granny, stock the freezer.
Two EMT conduit clamps screwed the frame will keep your guard in place. If the deer become really determined use 4, one on each corner.

greatgranny 7/3/2015, 6:37 pm

TCgardening wrote:I'm with Great Granny, stock the freezer.
Two EMT conduit clamps screwed the frame will keep your guard in place. If the deer become really determined use 4, one on each corner.

Well, one needs to obey the law though. Bow season, where I live, lasts for at least 2 months. My woods is a great place for the deer and my friends that hunt here almost always get at least one. Personally, I don't allow anyone during the gun season. I've had some real close calls because for some reason, some hunters don't think or they have had something to drink that melts their brain. Ammo falling on the roof makes one wonder.

littlejo 7/5/2015, 2:46 pm

I've lived in 'the rural country' for 11 years. I've allowed no hunting on my land. But, the deer have eaten most of the flowers from everything. Potatoes and tomatoes near the garden fence, now have taken to eating the blooms on my roses up by the house. I have camelias, which deer love, near the roses.
I think this will be the first year that I'll be recruiting hunters. Season here is Aug 1 thru Jan 1.

**donnainzone5** 7/22/2015, 6:03 pm

I have a new baby plum tree in a large pot squeezed between my new greenhouse and a 4' fence.

When I went out to water it this morning, the green top had been clipped off with surgical precision, at a diagonal angle. There was no deer scat (or prints) that I could find anywhere. However, I think a large deer could have stretched its neck over the fence and reached the top of the tree.

Next stop: apricot tree on the deck. A couple of its dainty branches disappeared a few weeks ago, but I attributed it to wind and/or cats jumping down from the fence. The loss now amounts to nine small branches. The branches originally affected are growing back strongly.

I haven't heard the sound of hooves landing on my wooden deck, though. Does this sound like deer? I rarely have such problems.

Also, do you think the plum tree will survive this onslaught?

littlejo 7/22/2015, 7:17 pm

Well, it sure sounds like deer to me! Raccoons and squirrels will eat the fruit/veggie, but deer like their greens,especially sweet potato greens.
Don't know if your tree will make it, but trimming a tree is what is done, normally in the fall. If it is putting on new growth, that is a good sign. If it is healing good/growing, good. If it shows signs of bleeding (sap weeping from wounds) dry with paper towels, and dab on a bit of elmers glue. The kind that will wash off in rain. If it just won't quit raining(I wish) glue on a sm. bit of wax paper on the cuts.
Jo

herblover 7/23/2015, 1:24 pm

I am having deer trouble as well; several of my daylily buds as well as my tomato plants. Between them and possibly the bunnies (some critter is mowing down my impatiens), I am having a time of it! I have never had trouble with my flowers being eaten before.

Windmere 7/23/2015, 2:23 pm

Just want to add my 2 cents. We have deer all over (I also have woods at the back of our house). They love our day lilies, our roses, our strawberry plants (leaves and fruit), our tomatoes, our pansies.... ha ha the list goes on and on.

I've been using granular Liquid Fence and Ortho Deer Be Gone. These work, but you have to be diligent about applying after rains. I also sometimes cover young fruit with netting.

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