Stinking deer get braver when it rains around here for some reason. Well it rained last night and I left out my potted up seedlings on the back porch. For the most part I have two seedlings for each variety, and many of these are from small amounts of traded seed, so that is it, two plants and no more seed......
Out of a line of thirty seedlings at the edge of the porch, the three plants that the sneaky deer ate/pulled up/destroyed were just about the only three that could be sacrificed. They were part of a set of hybrid grow outs (lime green salad x green giant). I also just happen to have a second set of in side ready for potting up. The porch is now surrounded by a double line of prostrate tomato cages.
Three nights ago there was a cat fight in my garlic patch next to the porch, which damaged some garlic. If this keeps up I'm going to get have to get midieval on the wildlife around here.
Yes you did dodged a bullet!
For the seedlings - I guess I'm lucky that the back deck is about 10' high!
But much as you said, deer are getting braver! Last year, a good friend of mine lost all but 1 plant (of 20) to the deer. Concrete mesh cages too - they just pull them/knock the down and eat the the young plants till there was almost nothing left!
Regards,
D
For the seedlings - I guess I'm lucky that the back deck is about 10' high!
But much as you said, deer are getting braver! Last year, a good friend of mine lost all but 1 plant (of 20) to the deer. Concrete mesh cages too - they just pull them/knock the down and eat the the young plants till there was almost nothing left!
Regards,
D
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Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
@ Dixana: the dog needs a designated digging pit, esp. if she's of a digging breed (terrier, most hounds, any dog who needs a cool spot to lie in outdoors). There is a good discussion of how to create a digging pit *and* how to train your dog to use it vs. your garden at
https://www.perfectpaws.com/dig.html
(which is also an all-around good training site).
@TZ-OH6: I know that vegetarians and animal rights (as opposed to animal welfare) advocates will detest my question, but...hunting season is in the fall; correct? Is hunting permitted near your home? Maybe next fall you can bag the limit, or go with a hunting party. My aunt, I'm sure, will part with her venison chili recipe (she was also an excellent gardener before my uncle's health--he was the hunter--became so precarious) if I explain the situation. PM me if you'd like it.
Deer are a real problem less than 3 miles from my house, where there's a regional park, but they eat so much up in the hills that I don't think they can waddle downhill to my house, which is a great relief. I feel fortunate and grateful to have found evidence (tracks and eaten roses) of deer in the garden only once since we moved here in 1997.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
https://www.perfectpaws.com/dig.html
(which is also an all-around good training site).
@TZ-OH6: I know that vegetarians and animal rights (as opposed to animal welfare) advocates will detest my question, but...hunting season is in the fall; correct? Is hunting permitted near your home? Maybe next fall you can bag the limit, or go with a hunting party. My aunt, I'm sure, will part with her venison chili recipe (she was also an excellent gardener before my uncle's health--he was the hunter--became so precarious) if I explain the situation. PM me if you'd like it.
Deer are a real problem less than 3 miles from my house, where there's a regional park, but they eat so much up in the hills that I don't think they can waddle downhill to my house, which is a great relief. I feel fortunate and grateful to have found evidence (tracks and eaten roses) of deer in the garden only once since we moved here in 1997.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I have an unusual situation. 16 wooded acres inside city limits surrounded by at least one row of houses/yards. Its the very corner of town with agricultural fields for 1 mile and 1/2 mile before getting to wild deer habitat, so no shooting, and quite a distance before hunters could get a shot at them. There are usually about nine animals as permanent residents with another half dozen that show up occasionally so if we got rid of the resident herd more would move in quickly from the countryside. Other than having to protect the garden they are nice to have around. They are in the yard once or twice a day in daylight and generally have 2-3 bambi spotted fawns each year, which like to stand stand on the other side of the garden fence while I'm puttering around. A ten point buck looked in the sliding glass door last January. It was mid-day.
I don't know if killing one would have much of an impact. In the last two years two have died in/near the yard, probably from car accidents. The rest of them walk right past the bodies after a few days. Needles to say I have a high nitrogen compost pile.
I don't know if killing one would have much of an impact. In the last two years two have died in/near the yard, probably from car accidents. The rest of them walk right past the bodies after a few days. Needles to say I have a high nitrogen compost pile.
