Something Ate My Cosmos

[missM]

I planted Cosmos seeds; they sprouted nicely and were growing nice and healthy. I come back from the weekend, check on them, and the tops have been chomped off!! There are a few left, I'm hoping they survive and grow. I did need to thin out, but not like this! I want to try, again, but how can I stop the chomping?!?

I do have a lot of slugs, squirrels, groundhogs, and birds. I don't use pesticides; any natural ways of deterring them away from the yummy plants? The pesky things go after certain plants: Siberian Bellflower; Zinnia; Dahlia. Everything else they stay away from, so far.

[GardeningCook]

Don't know where you are located (a very GOOD idea to put this in your profile if you want help), but unless your plants were chomped off to ground level, I'm guessing deer.