Deer in veggie garden

[Kittychan]

I have had a veggie garden for a few years now and one of my major pest problems has always been deer. this year the deer or other animal pests have eaten the majority of the beets I planted, which is very disappointed because I had planted more than 60 beets and the plants were healthy. Even though I've planted peppers just about every year I've never gotten more than 1 0r 2 peppers because the deer eat the plants almost down to the ground sometimes. I also have problems with deer and tomatos. They forturnately usually don't eat the whole plant, however this year they pulled out every single one of the tomato plants I plsnted the day after I planted them, so I had to get new plants. These plants are doing well and are flowering and starting to set fruit. Just today though I went out into my garden and found that all of the roma tomato fruits that had been growing had been plucked right off the stem! One of my cherry tomato plants is flowering heavily and I am scared that when I go out tommorrow I'll find that most of the flowers have been eaten off. I put a mixture of hot sauce and water on the palnts in a attempted to keep the deer alway. However I am not sure if it will work and the last time I used it it ended up burning the leaves. I've even let pricker plants grow up around one of my tomato plants in a desperate attempted to keep deer from doing to much damage. I just hope that I'll be able to get a tomato crop this year. I haven't been able to in the past few years. Does anyone else have deer and/or other animal problems in your garden. If so what? and what do you do about it?

 

[BigToe]

you can go to a garden store and purchase, or at least ask where to purchase, coyote or wolf pee to sprinkle around your garden. the deer will smell it and be scared off.

 

[ukok]

wolf pee ?!? ...LOL very loudly! - forgive me, but i'm rolling around my living room!

Seriously, if i can be after that...i sympathise with your problem Kittychan. Is there no way that you could prevent their access by erecting fences etc, or would that be too expensive/ or maybe they would just jump over them ?

 

[Kittychan]

I've thought about the fence idea Ukok, however it probably would be expensive to have one put up. I start college in the fall so I don't want to be spending a lot of money during the summer. Also my garden is only about five or six feet away from a sidewalk and the fence would have to go around a small pinetree. I'm not sure if there would be room for a fence. Also even if there is room the fence would have to be like eight feet tall and that probably wouldn't look very attractive set up right next to the sidewalk. I've heard about the wolf pee idea before Blanton, but I always seem to forget about that option. Hopefully someplace by me carries some. Thanks Ukok and Blanton for the advice.

 

[lucypevensie]

My mom lives in the coutry where they have a really nice garden and they also allow deer to wander the property. However the only way they have found to keep animals out of the garden is to put up an electric fence.

 

[AlabamaMan]

This may sound crazy but I know people who swear by it. Go to your local salon and ask for the hair clippings spread them around the perimeter of your garden, its said to keep the deer away! I think it has something to do with the human smell.
Let us know what you try and what works!

 

[ZiSunka]

Buy those metal channel posts that they have around farm yards, 8 foot high at least. Install them all around your garden. Then wrap 20 pound fishing line around the garden using the post for support.

The deer will try to come into your garden, and be frightened by the fishing line that they can feel but not see, and they will leave your garden alone.

 

[BigToe]

the best thing i can tell you is the wolf pee thing, the hair clippings sounds like a good idea. i live in a city that has an overpopulation of deer (so much that they have legalized killing them when it isnt deer season). my mom loves gardening and landscaping, but the deer eat everything. They haven't touched her plants since she sprinkled the wolf pee around her plants. they still sleep in a different area of our yard even.

 

[stumpsitting101]

Hi Kittychan:
I to have some trouble with deer. In my case any pea, okra or pepper, but they seem to wait just two days before harvest begans then wipe out a pea patch in two nights.
Sad thing is, they are so adaptable. What works today may not work two weeks from now. As for now, the best thing I've found so far is a spray called "Hinder". One spraying last about 7 days. This will be the first year I've been able to keep them out of the peas and okra.
So far, so good.

 

[Kittychan]

I've decided to with the Coyote Urine idea. My mom and her boyfriend bought it for me last night at the hardware store next to my work. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

 

[repentandbelieve]

I have had a veggie garden for a few years now and one of my major pest problems has always been deer. this year the deer or other animal pests have eaten the majority of the beets I planted, which is very disappointed because I had planted more than 60 beets and the plants were healthy. Even though I've planted peppers just about every year I've never gotten more than 1 0r 2 peppers because the deer eat the plants almost down to the ground sometimes. I also have problems with deer and tomatos. They forturnately usually don't eat the whole plant, however this year they pulled out every single one of the tomato plants I plsnted the day after I planted them, so I had to get new plants. These plants are doing well and are flowering and starting to set fruit. Just today though I went out into my garden and found that all of the roma tomato fruits that had been growing had been plucked right off the stem! One of my cherry tomato plants is flowering heavily and I am scared that when I go out tommorrow I'll find that most of the flowers have been eaten off. I put a mixture of hot sauce and water on the palnts in a attempted to keep the deer alway. However I am not sure if it will work and the last time I used it it ended up burning the leaves. I've even let pricker plants grow up around one of my tomato plants in a desperate attempted to keep deer from doing to much damage. I just hope that I'll be able to get a tomato crop this year. I haven't been able to in the past few years. Does anyone else have deer and/or other animal problems in your garden. If so what? and what do you do about it?

Build a tall fence around your garden and get a big dog. German shepherds are very territoral and are carniveras animals that do not eat vegetables. I have one and a bird cannot even land in my garden without her attacking it.

 

[onecrazycowgirl]

The fishing line and t-bar posts is a good idea - we drape it all around the strawberry patch and over the top, starting a ways out so they can't reach through it. We also invite our neighbors, who have male dogs, over and have them bring the dogs and walk them around the garden, which seems to help.

 

[SonWorshipper]

I have two large dogs and the deer sleep right in my yard! The only thing I have found that works and is inexpensive and versatile is a home made organic remedy.

Mix into 1 qt HOT water, I small chopped up onion, and 3 cloves of garlic chopped or crushed, and 1/4 teaspon cayanne pepper. Let this steep for about an hour and then strain through a couple of layers of cheesecloth ( can be bought at most supermarkets).

Then add 1 capful of dish detergent to the strained liquid, this helps it to stick to the plants. You pour this into a plant mister and spray your plants. You only have to redo this after a rain. This also works for spraying eaves of your house to get wasps and hornets from building a nest.

Just store mister in refridgerator the remaining mixture until needed.

Works everytime!

 

[chilehed]

Deer can easily jump a 6 foot fence, so don't forget to close off the top of the fenced area.

The scent of the hair and predator urine will wear off quickly; I've had people tell me that the hair didn't work at all (if the deer are in your backyard then they obviously are used to your scent, and since you're not outside at 4:00 AM ....).

 

[ms_lizzie]

Wolf pee is also used for moose. However, I would check to see how often they expect you to apply or re-apply it to see if it is cost effective. I am curious to know more about the 20 pound fishing line as a spook mechanism?

 

[SonWorshipper]

We have also used to great effectivness with deer, squirrels and birds a black netting that you place over your crops, The deer are detered by this and the squirrels and birds cant get through it. Works good when planting too, my squirrels like to dig up my seeds! I planted corn three times one year to get it going. Finally I planted it and put a clay pot over each mound! The corn was great but the raccoons found it the following year!

 

[BigToe]

haha while a stinky alternative, you could place moth balls in your garden. that is what my mom did... took me a few days to figure out what the smell was hehe but the deer havent come back to eat her plants

 

[Lion of Narnia]

Depending upon your local situation, I find it difficult that no one has not mentioned the equation of deer in the garden = venison in the freezer

 

[WesleyJohn]

I'm surprised no-one mentioned Ivory soap.

Up here in Maine, if you call the game warden (which I would suggest you do), he will come by with a large box of hotel size soap for you to spread around your garden.

If he is unable to cure the problem, you are often welcome to shoot the deer and keep the meat.

Something that you may not know...and it may not be true in your area...is that the state is often considered legally responsible for the wildlife (at least those that are protected by the game warden), and is also responsible to remove it if it causing nuisance. Sometimes, people receive compensation if a deer hits their car, or damages their property. You really should check into your state laws regarding wildlife. (And you definitely should call the game warden and inquire of him)

Peace,

WJ

 

[heygeno]

If deer were afraid of pee , they would never walk in the woods.

Birds love hair for nests... not going to work for deer.

No way to know for SURE what is eating..... fence is the only way.