Deer Problem

[brandon558]

Hi, my name is brandon and I'm new to this forum and gardening as well. I'm 20 years old and thought I would try a garden this year and I went crazy. I didnt have the ideal area for a garden to start with so I started small and then expanded when I found out how fun it is. I have close to 130 plants from Squash, zucchini,cucumbers, every pepper you can think of, tomatoes, sweet corn, okra, beans, onions, ect. I will take some pics soon and share.

now on to my problem....DEER! Ive tryed soap, hair, fishing line, rottin eggs, deer away from a local nusery, with no luck. Their whiping out the beans, tops of tomatoes, cukes, and I'm in a community where a electric fence wont work accoring to my HOA. Any ideas? A neighbor mentioned a liquid called deer fence or something along those lines. Its like $130 for a jug and you mix 1 oz per gallon. But he was not sure if it would be safe to apply to vegetables.

Any ideas, advise is very much appreciated!

Brandon

[BP]

Welcome, I'm Bret. I'm no master gardener, but am an experienced deer hunter. I can tell you 2 things a deer can't stand. Human urine and cigarette smoke/butts. This may be more than you want to do, but if you bottle your urine and dispense it around the garden on posts or whatever is available (not just the ground) you will keep deer away for a few days or until it rains. If you are a smoker or have a friend who is, put butts around the garden. this works in the country, but if you are in a highly populated area where deer are used to people, build a box out of very thin wood and put a solar windup radio in it. Play that radio all night at a volume you can hear at 20 yards away. they will hear it double the distance you can atleast, but no matter how people adapted they are, they won't get close to human voices. The box is needed for rain and dew protection. Hope one of these methods works for you, please update if you try these.

[Kisal]

A deer fence is the only sure-fire way I know of to keep deer out of a garden. Are you in a city/suburb where no fencing is permitted, or is it only electric fencing that is not allowed?

Plastic deer fencing is pretty easy to install around your garden. It comes in black, green, and also orange, I think. IMO, the black is the least noticeable, but you might prefer the green.

You can try all the other stuff. Most of the folks here have. I haven't heard of anything that's dependably effective. Deer are very adaptable, so a particular repellent might work once or twice, but after that, it's a waste of your time and money.

Deer can be kept out by 2 types of fences: a single fence 10' tall, or a double fence 5' tall with a 4' gap between the fences.

[TZ -OH6]

If the HOA won't allow a fence or deer netting then you may have to spray everything with a garlic, egg and hot pepper solution. Most of the scent repellents don't work on tame urban deer, at least not with my deer.

I'm surprised electric fences are not allowed. What do all the neighbors do to protect their flowers and landscaping plants?

[brandon558]

They suffer the same problems, lots of tops eatin out of the bushes.

I appreciate the advise! I don't believe ive ever seen a plastic deer fence. I will look into that.

The radio idea is pretty good too, I will keep trying different things and save my money rather than a liquid solution.

Thanks

[DeborahL]

I used to care about deer until I saw on the news the grief-stricken family whose loved one was killed, held down and kicked in the chest by a buck.

[BP]

I live in a state with MANY more deer than yours. Trust my advice. No offense to who posted it, but deer don't stop eating gardens with garlic spray (family has tried it). I have trailcam photos (if anyone doesn't know what a trailcam is- motion detected 24 hour digital camera strapped to a tree) of deer licking fence posts with garlic spray on them. PM me and I will send the pics. We have deer like the Southerners have Prarie dogs. Our mature whitetails weigh from 200- 240 pounds. I'm only guessing, but you have Blacktail deer? WAY smaller. Our normal summer herds are 25-100 deer. Doubt you have that out there. Just trying to help. Please start a thread and try my methods and post results.
This site recently started a fishing board, if there was a trailcam board I'd post atleast 50 pics of garden deer pics at night. jal_ut IMHO is the man when it comes to gardening and I've learned so much from him here, but I'd like to think I have close to his knowledge on gardening when it comes to deer problems. I live in an area that the Michigan DNR issues "landowner permits" to farmers whose crop damage is rediculous! the farmers let us take around a dozen deer per person (only 4 of us). BIG DEER PROBLEM HERE! But I enjoy the benefits, not much beef buying.

[BP]

I used to care about deer until I saw on the news the grief-stricken family whose loved one was killed, held down and kicked in the chest by a buck.

Been hunting deer for 18 years and have harvested more than my years hunting. The bucks aren't the ones to lookout for. Only during the "rut, aka mating season" they get out of the norm in behavior. It's my experience a doe "female" with a fawn "baby" gets aggressive. We have been early spring turkey hunting and have had a doe stand her ground, snort, stomp a foot from close distance and then run off and we stumble accross her fawn. Still no attacks. We have bears too and no attacks. My most feared creature in the woods is a skunk lol.

[Kisal]

I got worked over good by a doe one time. But I wasn't her favorite person at the moment. She had a badly broken rear leg and a dislocated front shoulder, and I had a lasso on her. I had her down to hogtie her, but the idiot who called me out on the job dropped the rope when the doe kicked. That, of course, freed her, and even though she couldn't stand, she proceeded to kick me everywhere those flailing little hooves could reach, until I managed to roll away. All the while I was yelling, "Grab the rope! Grab the rope and pull!"

[applestar]

Do you think if you tried using all the stinky solutions mentioned above as well as plastic dayglo orange deer fence (can we say eyesore?) the HOA might change their mind about the electric fence...?

[orgoveg]

My father-in law has bagged many big bucks while smoking and drinking coffee. A deer can't distinguish human urine from the urine of any other animal unless the human leaves other scents around to associate it with. Deer who have become accustomed to humans are not deterred by much if they are still nocturnal. Playing a radio is an interesting idea to try, but I won't be a believer until I see it work. I am actually the best deterrant as they always seem to avoid me during deer season. I can't be everywhere, so...

I agree that a deer fence is the best solution. I live inside a small city and I'm seeing more deer tracks than ever in my garden. They've already ruined some carrots in the bed and left holes where other things were seeded. If I see much more, I will be getting a fence. I've had fences before but they were such a pain to mow and trim around, plus the work to set them up. I had hoped that I could get away without one for awhile. Yes, deer can certainly get past a "deer fence" but most of them don't seem to know that.

[TZ -OH6]

Your deer licked up a solution of hot peppers? (I use habaneros instead of the cayenne powder in most recipes) The garlic just warns them that their mouth will get burned.

I've had them eat urine coated tomato plants a few hours after application.

I doubt that a radio would work here since our deer walk within 15-20 feet of me when I'm out working in the yard. Too many people in the neighborhood feed them.

[slyguy]

go to home depot etc and buy a roll of deer fencing. its black mesh lookin stuff that's 7 foot tall, 100 foot roll, 20 bucks. after you hagn it you cant even see it hardly. I walk into mine all the time. it's not strong but it will deter the majority of deer. I have a deer corn feeder 30 yards from my garden and they never touch the garden but are at the feeder daily.

[Kisal]

go to home depot etc and buy a roll of deer fencing. its black mesh lookin stuff that's 7 foot tall, 100 foot roll, 20 bucks. after you hagn it you cant even see it hardly. I walk into mine all the time. it's not strong but it will deter the majority of deer. I have a deer corn feeder 30 yards from my garden and they never touch the garden but are at the feeder daily.

Yep.

[WinglessAngel]

Welcome, I'm Bret. I'm no master gardener, but am an experienced deer hunter. I can tell you 2 things a deer can't stand. Human urine and cigarette smoke/butts. This may be more than you want to do, but if you bottle your urine and dispense it around the garden on posts or whatever is available (not just the ground) you will keep deer away for a few days or until it rains. If you are a smoker or have a friend who is, put butts around the garden. this works in the country, but if you are in a highly populated area where deer are used to people, build a box out of very thin wood and put a solar windup radio in it. Play that radio all night at a volume you can hear at 20 yards away. they will hear it double the distance you can atleast, but no matter how people adapted they are, they won't get close to human voices. The box is needed for rain and dew protection. Hope one of these methods works for you, please update if you try these.

I do have to say I disagree with the ciggarette butts! ive seen it happen when I lived in texas on 3 acres on a lake, deer LOVE cigg butts and will eat them, that will only draw them into your garden areas and I agree with not using the urine as a solution as well. plant a diversionary garden far enough away to drwa the deer to it and NOT to your garden, they will just get drawn in by curiosity of the smell of the urine and come in and eat the cigg butts then move on to your hard won garden

[BP]

Welcome, I'm Bret. I'm no master gardener, but am an experienced deer hunter. I can tell you 2 things a deer can't stand. Human urine and cigarette smoke/butts. This may be more than you want to do, but if you bottle your urine and dispense it around the garden on posts or whatever is available (not just the ground) you will keep deer away for a few days or until it rains. If you are a smoker or have a friend who is, put butts around the garden. this works in the country, but if you are in a highly populated area where deer are used to people, build a box out of very thin wood and put a solar windup radio in it. Play that radio all night at a volume you can hear at 20 yards away. they will hear it double the distance you can atleast, but no matter how people adapted they are, they won't get close to human voices. The box is needed for rain and dew protection. Hope one of these methods works for you, please update if you try these.

Our whitetails must be smarter lol.
I do have to say I disagree with the ciggarette butts! ive seen it happen when I lived in texas on 3 acres on a lake, deer LOVE cigg butts and will eat them, that will only draw them into your garden areas and I agree with not using the urine as a solution as well. plant a diversionary garden far enough away to drwa the deer to it and NOT to your garden, they will just get drawn in by curiosity of the smell of the urine and come in and eat the cigg butts then move on to your hard won garden

[Signal30]

Like someone said the deer netting does work.

However...

If it is in your lawn, be very careful with your gas or electric powered weed eater. The line from the trimmer can really damage your deer netting. It can also wrap around your line spool.

I spent the extra money and got 100 feet of 5ft welded fence.

Sorry, I have only read bit's and pieces, can you use welded fence or is that not allowed?

[jal_ut]

I don't have much trouble with deer here. I have used a radio in the corn patch to discourage skunks. That seems to work.

What I suggest for the deer, is a motion light with two sockets on it. Put a light in one and get a plug to put in the other so you can plug in a radio. Deer may get used to a radio or a light if left on constantly, but when it all of a sudden comes on they will bolt. The hard rock station nothing wants to listen to that.

When I lived in another place by the river, the deer were always around, but I had a dog and I had a cable the length of the garden with a pulley and chain on it so the dog had that much range. He kept deer and raccoons out.

One other thing......... EAT DEER!

[garden5]

One thing I heard but have never tried is to run a strand or two of fishing line around the garden. Supposedly, the deer feel it, but can't see it, so they get spooked and leave.

[brandon558]

One thing I heard but have never tried is to run a strand or two of fishing line around the garden. Supposedly, the deer feel it, but can't see it, so they get spooked and leave.

This is what ive done recently, black 400lb fishing line on stakes around the garden. Between that and the radio hopefully it will keep them out for the most part.

Thanks again for the the suggestions.

Jal_ut- Is there a certain motion light you reccomend? Ive seen ads in magazines for the Night Guard, anyone had any experience with these?

Thanks

Brandon

[johnny123]

[img]https://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae263/nemf/HenryGoldenBoy22.jpg[/img]

[Canadian Farmer Guy]

[img]https://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae263/nemf/HenryGoldenBoy22.jpg[/img]

You sir, have excellent taste in deer solutions

I do believe we could be friends.

CFG

[jal_ut]

Jal_ut- Is there a certain motion light you reccomend? Ive seen ads in magazines for the Night Guard, anyone had any experience with these?

I can't make a specific recommendation. I just got one from Lowe's. It is a standard patio or front sidewalk type that most people put two 150 W outdoor floods in. You can get a plug to screw in one socket to plug in the radio. I guess you can still get those? If not, you can easily just wire it up direct with a couple of wirenuts.

[jordanleereynols]

go to ebay and search for motion activated sprinkler....kill 2 birds with one stone.