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What is Deer Proof

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2007-01-08          138532


Now that we are basicly fully retired we're planning a small garden for spring. We live about a mile from the river sith timber coming halfway to the house so we have deer wandering around almost like a herd of cattle. The Mrs. asked me this morning if there are any garden plants that deer don't like to eat. One of my resons for a garden is we have 5 grandkids that live in major citys where even their parents even tho raised on a farm think milk comes from a milk factory, etc. so I'd like to show them how something can grow, be harvested, and eaten the day it's harvested. I'm not wanting to get into fence building if possible.Thanks Frank.



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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-01-08          138534


Hardwood,
It is interesting all the info and even tv shows on this. We have a little open farm land split in locations with woods and deer there. As woods are being cut down for houses they are getting pushed more and more. I have been surprised how little we have lost to deer. When we planted a winter garden the first in a few years deer concerned us but we have lost almost nothing to them even with foot prints in the garden. One of our garden crops was same planted for food plots in woods. The garden area does get night light and our dog does walk through it once in a while. ....


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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2007-01-08          138536


Some friends of mine have a house on 40 heavily wooded acres in Northern Michigan. The deer eat everything in the garden and jumped over a 4 1/2 fence to get in and out. They also ate the new shrubs around the house. When it comes to deer hunting time, they disappear. ....


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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2007-01-08          138539


There are so many deer in NJ that they eat most anything here. In the winter they even eat juniper bushes. Everything has to be covered with fence or netting to survice.

On vegetables the only way to stop them is a fence, and even that does not work if it is not high enough. I have seen them lean in on a 4 foot fence to grub what they want.

Dennis ....


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BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 649 Central West Virginia
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2007-01-08          138541


The first year I planted a pumpkin test plot, I lost very few to critters (rabbits or deer). Last year I more than doubled the plot size, and got wiped out. Could have had 500-800 pumpkins, got 5. Yes, 5.

I haven't had any luck with the any of the scent or sight deterrents (soap,pepper/garlic sprays,vhs tape, pie pans, etc).

Next year I'm going to try the bait-and-shock method, where you put up the electric fence early (before planting) and bait the deer in with peanut butter spread on pie pans, hanging from the fence. They learn to avoid the area before they have any reason to jump or go under the fence.

Otherwise, I'll get a permit and exterminate as many as I can.

Good luck,
Bill ....


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Blueman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 243 Washington, PA
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2007-01-08          138546


Get a dog. Seriously, when we had a our dog, even though she was a house dog, we never had problems with deer in the garden. Now that the dog has been gone, deer are all over the yard. Good Luck! ....


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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2007-01-11          138682


A lot depends on how many deer are in the area and the available food supply. Many areas that have problems with deer eating everything are due to an overpopulation of deer and not enough food for them. But you can't thin the herd because you can't kill Bambi!! So they eat everything in sight.

Dogs help, but the deer still came up to my place on occasion. They didn't eat much but the bucks would rub the fuzz off the antlers on the trees closest to the house. Did serious damage. I didn't sweat it.

May aunt has tall polls (8-10 feet) around her garden with fishing line across them. The deer can't see it, but they hit it and hate it. It keeps most of them out of the garden (plus the fence for rabbits since you can't shoot them in the city either). Between the rabbits and the deer, her garden is stronger than a military compound. ....


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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2007-01-11          138709


We use "Chew Not" but it takes lots of work. It costs $60/gallon and must be sprayed on at first growth and cover new growth as soon as it appears. It leaves white specks and stays on even through heavy rains. It is labor intensive as it is thick and can clog a manual sprayer. So we use a blender, strain it, then pour into the sprayer. I leave it to the wife to keep up with this. If you leave new growth unprotected, the deer will eat the unprotected growth and leave the rest. If you look at the lillies in my pic, the only way we get these on display is by using Chew Not. ....


Link:   Chew Not

 

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2007-01-11          138716


Ncrunch; The "Chew Not" sounds like something i could use. How often do you apply it and how long does it last. We're planning a couple of small gardens about 3600 squ. ft. total, what would it cost to do something of that size? ....


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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2007-01-12          138724


Hardwood, that is a tough one. Most of our gardens are in my pics 1,2,4,17 plus we spray a few plants for our neighbors. Maybe 2000-2500 square feet total after you figure that we only spray the soft leaf plants like lillies, hosta, rhododendrons etc. And we don't spray in inaccessible areas (behind steep stone walls, etc) or the alberta spruce or blue spruce. And my wife is very sparing with the hand sprayer. We use 1 - 1 1/2 gallons per year. You may need several gallons per year depending on how you spray the stuff on. I went to the web site and don't see any coverage data - probably because it varies so much.

I would say we apply it about 5 times per year. Once with first new growth, maybe a week later during fast growth, then every 2 weeks for 3 more applications. Once plants reach full growth you are done - it lasts the rest of the season. One thing to note - once you spray this stuff for a year or two you will notice that the deer will get "trained" to stay away from your gardens. But they will test every now and then. If you don't apply it when necessary and they happen to come by and test - you will lose your most recent uncoated areas of the plant - usually your flowers or fruit :(

You might want to try a gallon and see how it works for you first. Be aware that this stuff leaves tiny white dots on the leaves that give the leaves a whitish hue (strongest immediately after application).



....


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BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 649 Central West Virginia
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2007-01-12          138732


I've often wondered if you scared a deer enough if it would avoid the area.

A paintball gun is what I'm thinking of. The deer up at the farm are tame enough I could easily get in range and pepper them with paintballs. Plus it would be a way to relieve the anger of having them destroy my pumpkin patch, without killing them.

My local whitetail expert tells me that a deer will avoid an area if it thinks something is trying to kill it there. So I'm thinking of building a motion-activated, spring-loaded, stuffed mountain lion. :)

Bill ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-01-12          138734


If you only have a small area, like a veggie garden, the motion-activated sprayers for a garden hose work very well.

Most better garden places, as well as a myriad of places on the 'net sell them, they are just basically a scare crow. The combination of noise, motion and spraying water will keep the deer at bay.

Best of luck. ....


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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2007-01-12          138754


Billy, a former co-worker used the paintball method. He ended up with a lot of multi-colored deer in the neighborhood. They still kept coming around. But of you have the equipment, it may be worth trying. At the least, it will make you feel better. ....


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ihookem
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 49 Allenton, Wisconsin
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2007-01-28          139276


a 270 works. ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-01-29          139303


Do the propane "cannons" work? May not please the neighbors if they make the noise I think they do. ....


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SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579 g
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2007-01-29          139312


I may not understand the problem, but it seems that you have two many deer. You have 50 acres, a back hoe, FEl and those nanny goats make good Fertilizer for the garden you want. I have deer all over my place they dine on the rye grass. I have a garden “vegetable” raised bed no fence for some reason they stay away. I dont hunt deer, I am more birds and such, but deer taste good with the vegetables from the garden. I will defend myself.

just some ideas ....


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