glassperson
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posted on July 29, 2001 04:49:55 PM new
Ok, we live within walking distance of 2 state/county parks and 2 nature centers. Deer run rampant! Eat anything and everything! They are NOT afraid of humans!
I now have 2 ultrasonic high frequency "sound machines" - one in front and one in back. They still get in (avoiding the machines)and chew mercilessly. Also strung orange, weed-whacker wire from tree to tree - 1/2 acre property.
Please help: no sprays work, not hot pepper, onions, or eggs. Human hair worked for one season only. They don't recognize cougar or coyote smells-it is foreign to them! 12" fences would be ugly and expensive. Anyone have a concrete, workable suggestion! Every year this prob gets worse! GOv't is NO help!
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sadie999
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posted on July 29, 2001 04:54:33 PM new
Can you shoot them and eat them?
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tomwiii
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posted on July 29, 2001 05:04:29 PM new
Reminds me of a great flick...
"Bambi vs. Godzilla"
[ edited by tomwiii on Jul 29, 2001 05:04 PM ]
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glassperson
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posted on July 29, 2001 05:15:59 PM new
Wow! Great workable solutions!!! Thanks!
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Meya
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posted on July 29, 2001 05:51:02 PM new
http://www.plantprotec.com/
http://www2.yardiac.com/long.asp?item_id=1520&
http://www.liquidfence.com/
Good Luck.
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glassperson
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posted on July 29, 2001 06:08:12 PM new
Thank you Meya, those are 3 I have not seen before. Will investigate!
Glass
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Pocono
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posted on July 29, 2001 06:11:38 PM new
You won't beleive me, but what us "country folk" use is "coyote urin".
You can get it through the mail, or at most larger feed stores locally.
You use an eye dropper, and just drip a drop every 4-5 feet around your property.
Works wonders with those pesky critters...
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on July 29, 2001 07:31:22 PM new
Here in Pa we shoot the deer. If we didn't have hunting season it would be wild!
Me - I got one last winter. Huge buck with a big rack. Tore the heck out of my van..
If you post your "problem" on a few hunting sites I'm sure you will quickly get enough poachers to help solve your problem. Make sure you let them know where the deer are located!
BECKY
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gravid
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posted on July 29, 2001 08:38:45 PM new
We have the same problem here. It is not the deer that are the problem it is human stupidity.
Any solution that involves removing or killing the big eyed Bambi kin is rejected.
All these hypocrites think the hamburger they buy at the supermarket is the product of suicidal beef cattle. They throw themselves in the grinder to end it all.
I would be happy to see them reintroduce large predators as a solution because I suspect it would Darwin (just invented a verb!) out a lot of the weak minded humans also. They would go on picnic and want to "pet the bears" as some twits do in Yellowstone each year. Nature is wonderful on TV with a big bowl of popcorn. Face to face it is real educational.
[ edited by gravid on Jul 29, 2001 08:40 PM ]
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Hjw
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posted on July 29, 2001 08:48:27 PM new
In our neighborhood the police had to go on a deer hunting trip in the local park.
Helen
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ZiLvY
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posted on July 29, 2001 08:51:24 PM new
Miss Becky, Miss Becky, if the poachers come on the grounds I hope you have a source for bullet proof windows, kevlar vests for the folks and a big sign to hang on Rover that says "I AIN'T NO DEER....TURKEY!
And those spikey thingys that around the perimeter of the yard (you know the ones that keep you from backing out of pay to park lot) to prevent wild Van drivers from hunting at 60mph on the front lawn....
Becky, Becky, Becky, what am I gonna do wif you girl???
(I know....plastic numbchucks!!)
[ edited by ZiLvY on Jul 29, 2001 08:52 PM ]
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saabsister
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posted on July 29, 2001 08:59:00 PM new
Some members of our garden club have used soap flakes, human hair, and Bobbex. I think Bobbex is another spray - and quite expensive from what the users have said. (However, they have large gardens.) I've been lucky so far -we've had raccoons, possums, and foxes but no deer despite living by creeks,a river, and woods.
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ZiLvY
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posted on July 29, 2001 09:05:51 PM new
We have a leafy every green (eweonamous) sp? is wrong but it sounds like that in our front yard...last year I thought I will have to trim that back in the spring...so I went out to do that and could hardly find the plant which had been about 3 feet tall and too bushy...little cloven hoof prints told me who had done the trimming. Saw her one morning, early, sweetest little doe...ran out an screamed at her and then barked like a dog as she high tailed it into the woods.
The little deer has not been back!
[ edited by ZiLvY on Jul 29, 2001 09:07 PM ]
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Hjw
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posted on July 29, 2001 09:07:59 PM new
And don't forget an iridescent orange hat!!! LoL!
Helen
[ edited by Hjw on Jul 29, 2001 09:11 PM ]
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ZiLvY
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posted on July 29, 2001 09:09:00 PM new
Absolutely, not only for safety but for the Fashion Statement it makes. 
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gravid
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posted on July 29, 2001 09:40:53 PM new
I'd have to take off my aluminum hat. Maybe I can spray paint it hunter orange.
Or string an electric wire about four foot away from the fence to deny them the area from which they can jump over the fence.
They can clear a high fence but not from very far back.
Same thing if you plant rose bushes around the outside.
You could put sharp stakes inside so they are denied a place to land. they would probably see it and not jump but if they did - venison kabob. Fire up the grill.
[ edited by gravid on Jul 29, 2001 09:42 PM ]
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ZiLvY
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posted on July 29, 2001 09:45:44 PM new
Throw another deer on the barbie? Sounds like you've been visiting with Bitsandbobs, Bob downunder but never down!
Uh, Gravid without the reflective quality of unpainted aluminum will you get the same protection you have now? When did you start wearing an aluminum hat??? Did krs make you do that?
[ edited by ZiLvY on Jul 29, 2001 09:48 PM ]
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Microbes
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posted on July 29, 2001 10:08:52 PM new
Where I come from, having a deer come up in your back yard is a good thing.
Like Gravid said, "fire up the grill"!!! 
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gravid
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posted on July 29, 2001 10:11:48 PM new
krs made me aware of the need.
I will post some pictures soon. I am thinking of auctioning some soon. I am learning to fold a model that has a neck flap like the French Foreign Legion type hats that will protect your neck from chip implants, and sunburn.
They keep the cell phone rays out also and boost your signal!
I took some black helicopter photos in Port Huron but they painted them day glow orange to confuse me. Have to post those also. They were really ripping but I got a good shot straight up. The Coasties were asking me at the picnic table if they could auction off the Tall Ship Captain autographes on eBay.
I was encouraging them to go for it.
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gravid
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posted on July 29, 2001 10:24:28 PM new
I used to work in a shop where there was a poucher who lived way up north and only came down to Detroit to make cash and then would retreat up by Cadillac to live for a couple years with his savings. This guy would bring a pair of venison tenderloin every Friday when we fired up the grill. There was also an American Indian and he always had huge fillets of lake trout. We ate pretty good there in the summer. I always took in sweet corn. He was a subsistance hunter. Something that state game laws and seasons have pretty much destroyed. Now it is cheaper to buy your meat in a supermarket and any actual poor people eating what they hunt are as illegal as they used to be in England when the Nobles owned all the land and game. Now the State of Michigan owns it for the recreational hunter who can spend the maximum dollar on tags and motel rooms. I can't even remember his name so don't pester me to track him down from 6 years ago.
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on July 29, 2001 11:32:15 PM new
Zilvy -
My backyard was 3 acres of wooded forest - ALWAYS filled with hunters ....
Right now in Mom's backyard there is quite a menagerie ... bear, deer, bunnies, you name it .... Dad even had a hummingbird fly up to him that had wire somehow wrapped around its beak. He unwound it and one happy little bird flew away.
Gotta love country living!
Hey - were those numchucks by chance two plastic balls, suspended on a string with a ring on top? If so, I rocked those babies - it's all in the wrist action
BECKY
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fred
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posted on July 30, 2001 09:19:14 AM new
glassperson, We use wind chimes. Have for years. No problem with deer.
Lots of wild life around our area. When wild life eat plants in the yard. Most of the time it is because of over population & not enough food to support them.
Fred
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Eventer
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posted on July 30, 2001 09:04:55 PM new
glassperson,
Our property backs up on a state park and, unfortunately, our property is the first salad bar the deer see when they come out. And we get herds of them...20, 30 of them at a time.
First thing to know is that deer will eat ANYTHING if they are hungry enough. There is NO such thing as a deer resistant plant nor will windchimes, waving objects or sounds scare them away.
I've even had a huge buck chase our doberman back into the house. I've walked out into the garage and come face to face w/a deer who didn't budge. They've come up onto our porches to get at potted plants.
You can spend a fortune on topical sprays but 99% of the time, they'll only last until the first spray.
Short of fencing in your entire property w/12 foot protective chain fences (we've had them run right through heavy board fences & break them), your best hope is to learn what plants deer "prefer" not to eat.
Do a search on Excite using "deer resistent plants" in your search & there are several excellent university research sites which will give you lists of plants & shrubs which deer really don't care to eat. They might take a bite of them but, unless they are starving, they'll not touch them again because they are unpleasant.
These types of plants include: barberry, spruce, most of the herb family, some boxwoods and a host of other items from perennials to annuals, from plants to trees. The key is placing the plants they classify as #1 (toxic tasting) in front of plants which are a bit more palatable to them. If they take a bite of the toxic tasting, they'll tend to walk away and find something else.
We re-landscaped this summer using mainly the class 1 (toxic tasting) plants as our guide. They took a nibble of them & haven't touched them since. I did accidentally leave one of the rose bushes uncovered one evening (they have tall plants screens around them) and they ate every bud they could find..the thorns meant nothing.
I've had them strip a magnolia, then use the trunk to scratch, totally killing the entire tree. For any tree we want to stand a chance, it has to be ringed w/heavy screen far enough to keep the deer back from being able to reach in & eat on it until it has a chance to grow beyond their reach.
Unfortunately, when you live where deer are present & not afraid of humans, YOU have to be the one to adapt your landscaping to them. There are many lovely plants they are not fond of which will still give your yard a nicely landscaped look.
People "swear" by everything from using human hair to urine. But it's mostly wives tales. The best thing is to learn the plants to use & keep anything else protected by solid board or wire fencing.
Good luck!
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glassperson
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posted on July 31, 2001 06:37:00 AM new
Thank you all for your time and replies.
I can't "re-forest" my yard as the trees and bushes have been there for over 60 years. IN the summer I like to have a few flower pots and herbs - they are gone too.
Fencing will cost in excess of $2K. Hunting is verboten-highly populated area. And I have seen them jump a 6" steel fence from a standing start!
I was hoping that orchard owners knew of something we did not.
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on July 31, 2001 02:09:50 PM new
Glassperson ~
They really are beautiful to look at. Sit and watch them some night. You will be amazed. Or better yet invite some little kids to watch. At least you can get some enjoyment out of them.
Sorry I don't have any real answers for you - I got married and moved to a more urban area. We only have bunnies and skunks here.
BECKY
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spazmodeus
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posted on July 31, 2001 02:28:50 PM new
Aside from damaged shrubbery, stripped trees, etc., there is an unseen, and perhaps greater, threat associated with deer populations -- Lyme Disease. It is spread by the deer tick.
I've had Lyme Disease in the past. It's no picnic. It left every one of my joints aching for almost a week. I could barely type. Fortunately I recognized the primary symptoms -- fever with no associated cold or virus, and aching joints -- and got to a doctor in the early stages. Even though we caught it early, I was still put on a course of antibiotics for a full month.
I have a neighbor who didn't catch his in time. He has been left with permanent pseudo-arthritic symptoms, and occasional flare-ups of the full symptoms.
I used to vigorously oppose any culling of deer in suburbs. Nibbled shrubs didn't justify killing animals in my book (actually, it still doesn't). But once an animal population becomes a health risk to the human population, then I think it's time to set aside our qualms and do what's necessary to keep people healthy.
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gravid
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posted on July 31, 2001 02:41:02 PM new
When they come right into your yard real close it is possible to shoot them without attracting much attention if you don't have a neighbor real close with windows looking over your yard.
I have a .22 with a 28 inch barrel and if you shot a short in it it is actually slowing down the second half of the barrel. It is very quiet and if you put a baby bottle nipple over the muzzle with a hose clamp it is a polite little cough. You may think that is not enough to shot a deer but at 20 yards you can shoot them right in the ear and they will not even twitch - just fall over. As they have said if you load 'em in the pickup truck wear long sleeves and gloves or you may get ticks.
Oh - Don't get caught.
[ edited by gravid on Jul 31, 2001 02:42 PM ]
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spazmodeus
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posted on July 31, 2001 03:07:57 PM new
A couple more thoughts on Lyme Disease:
- The deer tick is so tiny it looks like a speck of dust. They are very hard to see if you're not looking for them.
- It's a myth that a bullseye-shaped red patch or mark always surrounds the tick bite in the days after infection. I had no such mark. The bullseye often appears, but certainly not always.
- Even if you are infected, you may test negative for Lyme Disease. They test for Lyme Disease by looking for the presence of Lyme Disease antibodies in your blood. The theory is that if you're producing the antibodies, then you must be infected. Thing is, the body doesn't start producing the antibodies till about two weeks after infection -- even though the onset of symptoms may happen sooner. So if you have the symptoms but your doctor's not too familiar with Lyme Disease, he may tell you not to worry because the Lyme test came back negative -- yet you may still have the disease. And if it's left untreated, you're screwed.
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arttsupplies
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posted on July 31, 2001 04:19:51 PM new
Hey - were those numchucks by chance two plastic balls, suspended on a string with a ring on top? If so, I rocked those babies - it's all in the wrist action
We called them Click-Clacks. didn't they get outlawed pretty quickly because the balls broke apart too easily. Or was that just what the nuns wanted us to think in the 4th grade.
numchucks are the sticks held together with chain or string or something.
arttsupplies (webmaster)
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on July 31, 2001 05:42:30 PM new
Arttsupplies ~
That's right! Click Clacks! They were sooo much fun ...
I think my parents took them off of us when the announcement came on tv that they were dangerous. DARN!
Becky
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