Oh, dear...deer!

[theletch1]

Alright, for the first time in years I've been able to get a sizeable veggie garden planted. I have about a football field sized garden this year that my wife and my father will be helping work. The problem is that white tail deer are running amok in my area. So far I haven't had anything sprout...just got most stuff in the ground a week ago. The deer around here don't have much fear of humans except during hunting season. I swear they have a booklet from the fish and game folks with the date marked on it. My question is if any of you have experience getting rid of deer without shooting them. The guy that owns the property doesn't want folks hunting deer around the orchard. I've considered using cotton balls with a little coyote urine on them spaced around the garden to scare the deer away but then I have to worry about drawing coyotes in. We have coyotes so thick around here that the county has a bounty on them.

Any ideas at all would be appreciated.

 

[jdinca]

Other than putting in a deer fence, an expensive proposition for that size of a garden, I'm not sure what you can do.

I am waiting with baited breath to find out how you get the coyote to pee on the cotton ball though...

 

[Kacey]

The current issue (April 2007) of This Old House has an article on keeping deer out of your garden - titled "Bye-bye, Bambi". They list several options - a barrier fence, various sprays (including a recipe for "DIY deer repellent"), scaring them off, and plants they dislike which can keep them away. It might be worth a trip to a bookstore or library to get a copy of the article - the May 2007 issue is out, but the April issue is probably still available somewhere. I checked their website, but it's not archived yet.

 

[Shuto]

I've been dealing with them for years. It used to be that they just nibbled and there was plenty for both of us but now they completely clean-up certain plants, even plants they never bothered with before like zuchini. I've noticed that they have cleaned-out the May Apples that used to be plentiful in our woods as well. The poor things must be starving. I've read articles tht claim the white-tails are changing the climax forest in the Easter US. I believe it from what I've seen.

Anyways, I've found that the sprays can be effective up to a point. The deer won't touch whats been sprayed, but plants grow quickly and they will soon grow out past the sprayed parts and the deer around here figured out what to eat and what to avoid.

I use a combination of fences and some water sprays that are triggered by motion. The sprays are pricey but they deter the deer and they can be entertaining with unsuspecting people as well! You have a large area so these options would probably be cost prohibitive. Your best hope is that they have enough other things to eat like they used to in our neighborhood.

How good are you with a bow and arrow?

 

[MA-Caver]

Indeed, fresh veggies and fresh venison... sounds pretty good!

You might want to try using some of your own urine around the boundaries of your garden as well. Human wary animals will catch your scent and stay away.
Stephen King in his novel "It" described a "mooseblower" which was essentially a large can (say, stewed whole tomatoes with a string running through the center of the (sides) of the can. Hang that up and supposedly when the wind blows through it it makes an eerie noise that should frighten the deer away. Creeps out people walking by as well... in the night. (dunno if it really works.. haven't tried it yet ... )

partially opened cans with pebbles inside or soda cans with same (even dried beans) and hung around at a deer's knee level in different intervals around the perimeter they try walking in and hit the string ... rattle the cans .. startle them off.

Lots of different low cost ways...

Or just get a good ole' dawg.

 

[karatekid1975]

We have a 6 foot fence around our garden. It's not as big as yours, but it keeps the critters out, except for slugs that eat my bok choy ... grrrrrr

I dont like meat (I'm vegetarian). So, I won't shoot them (deer). But The slugs are a different story ... SALT kills them! Beer does, too. But I wouldn't waste a good beer ....

 

[tellner]

Are you the kind of vegetarian who loves animals or the sort who hates plants?

 

[jdinca]

Are you the kind of vegetarian who loves animals or the sort who hates plants?

Somebody has to make those vegetables pay. :uhyeah:

 

[karatekid1975]

LOL. Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but that was a totally new question. I usually get "Are you a PETA freak or something?" No I'm not, I actually don't agree with them totally. The ones that ARE strict PETA junkies, I call them "phyco vegans."

But I do love animals. AND I love veggies (because I love to eat them *evil grin*) hehehehehe.

 

[HKphooey]

Here a link to gardenweb.com, a gardening forum. I advertise on their websites. Lots of great gardening ideas.

Here is a compilation of ideas from their readers...
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/pests/2000053920004911.html

 

[HKphooey]

Also, if you decide to go the dear fence route, let me know, and I will get you some great pricing (since you support Bob and MT )

 

[theletch1]

Also, if you decide to go the dear fence route, let me know, and I will get you some great pricing (since you support Bob and MT )

Cool! I put in tomatoes, jalapenos, hungarian wax peppers and cabbage this saturday. Since then I've been working late into the evening in the garden and the field surrounding it and my scent seems to be keeping them at bay for the most part. I went to Lowe's this weekend and priced what I'd need for and electric fence around the garden. With what I'll have to buy and what I already have on hand I think I can bring it in for around $60 or $70.
I already have radishes, peas and corn popping through the surface.

 

[HKphooey]

Cool! I put in tomatoes, jalapenos, hungarian wax peppers and cabbage this saturday. Since then I've been working late into the evening in the garden and the field surrounding it and my scent seems to be keeping them at bay for the most part. I went to Lowe's this weekend and priced what I'd need for and electric fence around the garden. With what I'll have to buy and what I already have on hand I think I can bring it in for around $60 or $70.
I already have radishes, peas and corn popping through the surface.

Here is one of the websites I designed and manage...
www.growerssupply.com

Let me know if you ever need anything. Throw a high tunnel over the garden and grow year-round.

Happy growing!

 

[Kacey]

Cool! I put in tomatoes, jalapenos, hungarian wax peppers and cabbage this saturday. Since then I've been working late into the evening in the garden and the field surrounding it and my scent seems to be keeping them at bay for the most part. I went to Lowe's this weekend and priced what I'd need for and electric fence around the garden. With what I'll have to buy and what I already have on hand I think I can bring it in for around $60 or $70.
I already have radishes, peas and corn popping through the surface.

I put 5 foot mesh fencing around my garden, but it's only 8 x 15 or so... the fence is mostly to keep the dog out; he likes to lay in the dirt when it's hot. I planted cherry tomatoes, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and a cucumber bush on Sunday - I'll be planting squash (definitely butternut, possibly pumpkin - although the pumpkin pretty well took over last year, and I'm not sure I want to deal with that) next week. And then I must have missed a few carrots last year, because they came back - so many that I need to go thin them out. And I need to plant radishes - I forgot to buy fresh seeds.

I also have raspberry bushes - once the berries start to show, I put bird netting (like mosquito netting) over the top of the fence, or I won't get any of the berries myself!

Good luck keeping the deer out!

 

[Shuto]

Cool! Since then I've been working late into the evening in the garden and the field surrounding it and my scent seems to be keeping them at bay for the most part.

From my experience with deer I found them to be creatures of habit. I can't grow any unprotected Day Lilies in my yard but neighbor ~150 ft away has no problem at all with growing them. The reason? I think it's because the deer have developed a habit of gowing through my yard but not through my neighbors. Also supporting the creature of habit theory is that I can pretty much predict the time of day the deer will be in certain areas of our neighborhood.

That electic fence thing sounds like a good idea.

From your description of the plants you've planted I predict your problem will be with corn, peas, and maybe cabbage. Deer may nibble on tomatoes but my experience is that they won't do any serious damage. Same with the Peppers.

 

[theletch1]

Kacey, I love radishes! Take into account the 29 days from seed to eat and you can really get alot of them in one season.

Deer are indeed creatures of habit. Their habits have been a bit disrupted of late since I've been in the garden each day for awhile around dusk. I put Tuckers runner out in the field that the garden is in and let him run back and forth out there during the day in hopes that his scent will help deter the critters. My tomatoes and cabbage are still intact to this point and will hopefully stay that way til this weekend when I can get the electric fence in.

HK, thanks for the link. I'll be doing a lot of digging on that site (pun intended) when I get back from the gym in a couple hours.