I have got a small problem and I am asking you all to give me some input here. We have a problem with mule deer eating our vegetables, and we can't scare them off. Smell repelants don't work; we can't have a dog, since we are close to a busy highway; and we can't shoot does except by limited entry. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Get a dog, and one of those electric "invisable" fences for it.

It will chase the deer to the edge of the property, and then stop there.

CatShooter.

spray some coyote urine around or use dryed blood.
you can get dried blood from your local vo-ag type stores. Try trapping supply stores for the urine. Buy a crossbow and a hand held spotlight!

[ 07-30-2002, 03:25: Message edited by: HHI 7371 ]

If you're industrious,,go to your local janitor supply store and buy a case of 1/2 ounce bars of perfumed deodorant soap.It's gonna cost 40-60 bucks[1000 bars].If you have access to a drill press,,set it to the highest speed possible and drill a 3/8 hole through them,leaving the wrapper on.Use a dust mask and rubber gloves when doing it or you'll regret it.you can stack up 5 or 6 bars at a time when drilling.Tie on to victimised plants right where thier noses are going to be. Or maby string like christmas lights every 24" or so with some nylon cord and some push in electric fence posts around the perimiter. I do this annually for a nursery and know it works. A contender with a 10" .45 colt barrel does wonders too!!

In CO, the DPW sets up fences that are 6' high to stop deer from entering I70. They work.

Of course your alternative is to plant a really, really LARGE garden, then you can share !

I used to have the same problem with whitetail deer and I got so fed up with them trashing my garden that I started shooting them. That didn't stop them. The only thing I can guarantee you will be effective is a damn good fence. And it better be good.

Or, you might just try sitting out for a few nights with a pellet rifle. Pump it up enough to sting like hell and have some fun. MAYBE they'll get the message, but I doubt it.

Men,
All of you are truly lacking in creativity, here's something I came up with to keep the neighbor cats away from my birdfeeder. It should work well on deer.
I use remote detonated firecrackers in those little pull apart plastic easter eggs filled with confetti. I detonate them with model rocket ignitors attached to a wire that leads into the kitchen through the window and is attached to a little batttery operated switch. I sit at my table drinking a delightful cup of herbal tea finger poised over the button waiting for a kitty to come slinking along. Very effective and even more entertaining to watch.
I suppose this could be rigged to a motion sensor if you're not around but it would be advisable to warn Great Aunt Betty before she wanders into the garden.

Critr...I don't know about this one. It might work on cats...but when HOT LEAD fired in anger won't stop the devils, I don't hold up much hope for fire crackers. Hungry deer are about like trying to stop a covey of Ninja Assassins.

I think you better get another cup-o-herbal tea and go back to the drawing board if you're gonna keep deer away.

[ 07-30-2002, 08:10: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

Go to your local barber and get a whole bunch of hair clippings. Put the clippings in the legs of old pantyhose and hang them around the garden. You can also use citrus soap{orange peel soap and spray it on your trees and veggies. The jumpers don't like the taste.

I've tried just about everything that you all have except the fence. That stuff might work on whitetails or mulies, but it sure as hell doesn't work on the blacktails we've got around here. These guys just love my wifes roses and all sorts of other garden delights. I keep trying to explain to her the concept of animal control. Its either on a hunting trip or in the back yard, so whats the diff? It all tastes the same. Dogs and fences are the only surefire (except well placed gufire) that I know of.

Try spraying a mix of cayan pepper on them. I've also heard a vineger mix works. Basically if they taste bad they'll not eat the stuff. When I was a teen I used a bow with rubber blunts but I'd be careful who found out about that practice. Since moving into So. Cal. I've been exposed to far to many bunny huggers that are clueless about wildlife. They believe everything is cruel and don't even want to know what happens at the pound or butchers. Scareing deer would probably land a guy ( or gal) in jail.

Thanks everyone for the creativity! Don't think I haven't been tempted to shoot every one of the little varmints that have entered the garden. We have tried the hair clippings, we've tried to use repelents like "Scoot," and we really can't have a dog, based on our location. It looks like a 6 ft fence is the only option. Thanks for all the options. BTW, I did try using the rubber blunted arrow for a while, and even managed to hit a few, but they started to come back at night.

How about a "scare-deer" (simular to scarecrow) but put a cut-out picture of Hillary on it.

[ 07-31-2002, 04:14: Message edited by: HHI 7371 ]

Up in this part of the state Blacktails own the night. I think they are somehow related to coons.

How about an electric fence?? Fairly cheap and easy to set up.

Hey, Pa. Frank,

WAY TO GO!!!!!

I agree with MFH. Go to your local farm/ranch supply store and explain what you want to do and they will fix you up. An electric fence is a helluva lot easier to put up and take down than a 6' fence.

Good Luck,
Ben H

The newspaper this weekend carried a story about a night watchman who beat a possum to death with a flashlight and was up for felony cruelty to animals, also another guy who shot one with crossbow and nearly got the same ( possum survived long enough to get into neighbor's yard, and they freaked ). Oh, and we're in southern California, as you may have already guessed.

Tom

It looks like a luxury problem to me,deer in my garden.......

Hugh.

I have had a hard time with white tails eating my garden I use three strands of electric fence one about a foot high one at 4 feet and another at six feet works very well. As long as you remember to turn it on. Some times the bears just walk through it.

Model 70 - I think the only suggestion not already proven to fail might be for you to just go out and "reason" with the deer. Explain your family's need for the vegetables and how you've worked hard to produce them. Quite possibly the deer simply think these little tasties are simply nature's bounty and don't understand they belong to another.

Speak slowly and don't use big words. I'm not sure how well deer understand English. But the last time I shouted, "Get out of my garden you SOB's," they indeed left in haste. So there is some basis for my suggestion.

Good luck.

[ 08-01-2002, 16:51: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

M70,

I have offered my services before in this matter, although I haven't recieved any takers...For a fee, as well as room and board, I will come out to your property for a few days, dress in my deer hunting camo, carry my deer rifle around, and walk back and forth along your property line. Usually when so equipped, there are not deer anywhere in a 10 mile radius. That is the best way I know of to drive away deer!

BB - Most deer can smell a "bluff" and you would probably have them following you around eating out of your pockets.

It's the same when you take some beer down to the creek and get comfortable under a shade tree. The last thing you want is for the fish to be biting. But the minute you dose off they will all go into a feeding frenzy that would make a shark blush.

Model 70

I've tried most of the tricks mentioned above , hair, Irish spring soap, the deeraway stuff and the screamers ( no not my wife, one of those sensors that emit a high pitched whine when the deer get close) but my wife still has headless tulips each year. Most work for a bit and the deer get used to them

the wolf Urine works oK if you freshen it up regularly. The dogs work well when they are outside in the yard. I have not resorted to an electric fence although a friend has , he says it works very well.I have a couple of dogs that like to pee on posts (including those with hot wire attached) as well as 2 children so it is not an option.

They sell a deer fence here in Wisconsin that works Very well for me. This fence is really just a very fine black nylon fishnet, apparently the deer can't see it and therefore don't try to jump over it. It is not as obtrusive as a wire mesh fence.

Have you seen it around in Canada?

The cross bow is a good idea,. you can get your vegetables back after they have been "processed"

I know dairy farmers in far off New Zealand probably don't rate as very knowledgeable on American deer predation , but here goes my contribution.
A friend of mine is the local deer veterinarian for the deer farmers in this region. She says that deer are not slightly spooked by blood , like cattle are , but that they absolutely hate being in close proximity to one of their own kind that is dressed out and hanging up awaiting packaging. Obviously this experience is based on farmed red deer , and only on attempting to yard the said farmed deer into handling facilities with the dead brother inside.

So----kill one of the suckers and skin him and hang him in a prominent place for the bros to see , and they will all stay away..... Cant be any worse than doing nothing , and if it doesn't work over night then at least you have venison for the next while .

I favour the electric fence - if they work in Africa to control elephants they ought to work on deer , and are cheap and esy to erect. I also like venison.....

Well I can't really remember if it was used to scare off deer but my aunt had a really problem animals eating her flowers. She used mothballs an sprinkled them around her plants. That really seemed to help. But I know she used a red pepper and sprayed it all over her plants. I know she used the red pepper to keep the deer away. If nothing else put up an electric fence that will work pretty well. Try the moth balls first because it was more effective than anything else.

So Rockhead, not much you can do about the dogs, but surely you can get the children to stop peeing on the posts?

outside in the yard. I have not resorted to an electric fence although a friend has , he says it works very well.I have a couple of dogs that like to pee on posts (including those with hot wire attached) as well as 2 children so it is not an option.