OT: Deer Damage

[GonnePhishin]

I wonder if any of the long time deer hunters can help.
We live in the suburbs, on a dead-end street next to a two hundred acre park. There are packs of deer that come and meander through the yards in search of food at various times, and I have been struggling to keep them from destroying my plants/shrubs, etc., by using the spray deer-away, cayenne pepper, and even an electronic device hidden up in a tree that emits the sound of a bobcat at intervals at night time, all to no avail.

For some reason lately the deer like to come and tear up my grass. I don;t know if they are tearing it up with their snouts, or hooves, but there are patches of torn up grass. Last fall this also occurred and I went and reseeded these areas this spring and figured that was it. But DOGGONE it, these darn deer ahve torn up the SAME exact areas again last night The odd thing is that I look at my neighbors lawns and can't find any sign of damage in their yards!

My question(s) are: Why have they torn up the same areas again, it has to be more then random chance, and any suggestions on keeping them out?

I've been searching the 'net for explanations but can't find any. I would love to fence in the backyard but its way too expensive and besides the fence would have to be 10-12 feet high. Also shooting them is not an option due to city code.

Any suggestions or help would be most appreciated.

[fordwannabe]

I can't help with the why but I can tell you that a deer won't go within 50 yards of a dog, so this might be an answer. Also might try whacking them in the rear with a bb gun. it won't hurt them but startles the wee out of em.Tom

[deerwhacker444]

Maybe it's a mineral deficiency. Mabye they like the stuff you're feeding your grass and there's a high concentration of it in that one spot. You might try a mineral block at the edge of your property and see if they flock to it instead of messing up your yard.

[2ndovc]

I can't help with the why but I can tell you that a deer won't go within 50 yards of a dog, so this might be an answer. Also might try whacking them in the rear with a bb gun. it won't hurt them but startles the wee out of em.Tom

+1

We live on a street that dead ends into a very large farm and the deer are all around but they won't take more than a step or two into the yard becaus of the dogs. Even though they are inside most of the day the deer won't come close.

As to why they tear up the same spot I'll be interested to see if anyone has any thoughts.

jb

[mikld]

I like the BB gun idea and perhaps you could harvest some venison with a Bow & Arrow? (I'm kinda ignert on this subject as we don't have any deer in our yards in Los angeles!)

[Modoc ED]

I can't help with the why but I can tell you that a deer won't go within 50 yards of a dog, so this might be an answer. Also might try whacking them in the rear with a bb gun. it won't hurt them but startles the wee out of em.Tom

Yeah, right!!!! Tell that to the deer that come through and graze on the grass in our yard and property while one or more of our dogs are out and about wandering the property or laying in the yard and on the porch watching them.

It's kinda like our dogs are calling their friends over for a snack party.

As far as whacking them on the butt with a BB gun, that's against the law and should the BB or pellet penetrate the skin it will fester and cause suffering in the deer. That'll make you real popular with the kids.

[Don McDowell]

Probably the spots in the grass is from a buck marking his territory. They pee in that spot and then scrape it up with their hoofs, and rub's his horns in it. Might even roll on that spot.
Dump some chlorox on the spot, It may deter him.
Deer repellent made primarily from dried blood will sometimes work.

Don't be messing with getting a deer infected with a bb or pellet under the hide. It won't do anything but spook the one out of there one time anyway.
Dogs, sound recordings, etc all work somewhat , but sooner or later the dog and the deer will call a truce (usually after a deer stomps the snot out of the dog) they get adjusted to what ever sound is made is its to regular going off and nothing else but the sound ever happens.
Call your local Game Warden and ask for some help, chances are he/she may have some super duty repellent to give you.

[Modoc ED]

There is a product sold locally called "Liquid Fence" that works pretty good. The wife uses it on her flowers and since she's been using it, they haven't been gobbled up by the deer. You should have seen the look on her face when she used to go out and see that the flowers had been neatly plucked off the tulips and all that remained was a stem sticking straight up in the air.

Google it and you can buy it off the internet.

[Don McDowell]

You ought to see the flowering crab tree on the other side of the drive way, Carol has been trying to nurse back to health She's got a deer license this year. Even paid for mine.

[rjohns94]

I have used cleaning pellets (felt wads) shot from my pellet rifle to rid my yard of neighborhood cats. It stings, but does not penetrate. Certainly non lethal.

[Don McDowell]

Person just want to use some caution when using a "gun" to try a deter wildlife.
I know of one case where some urbanites were having trouble with Antelope raiding the garden ( lil buggers love to eat bean plants when they bloom) The would be gardener shooshed them off, and then when they were out about 100 yds fired a .410 shotgun in their direction. A couple of the pellets managed to hit one of those goats right thru the ear hole ,drt as they say.
One of the Urbanite neighbors that did not garden, but loves wildlife witnessed the whole affair, and called the stop poaching hot line.
Something like 500$ in fines for hunting out of season without a license and using an unlawful firearm for the taking of big game.

[Ben_Rumson]

Same situation in my area, but no problems with deer eating everything in my yard because it's all natural habitat. Apparently the few plants and flowers that wifey grows the deer wont eat. That Liquid Fence sounds like a winner. Good luck

[76/444]

First I would ask the neighbor what he puts on his lawn. Second I would try some moth balls, I heard they repell quite a variety of wildlife,... but can't remember if deer were on the list.

[meanc]

Take a trip to your local barber shop and bag up all the hair that's been cut and spread it around the lawn.

Also if it's a wooded park, you could put plant a clover field or even put up a feeder fairly close off your property.

[m.wun]

I think I saw a item in Cabelas once that you set up this motion detector deal
and when it goes off a sprinkler turns on.One of those old kind that has that
little slapper arm on it.

[GonnePhishin]

Don McD,

What you say about the buck marking his territory makes good sense, but I don't know about putting clorox on the grass. It'll probably burn out the grass.

I'll look for the liquid fence and give it a try. I've tried deer away, which smells like rotten eggs or a ripe butt, and it seems to work for a while, but they bas8&$%^*(ds always seem to come back.

I actually like the bb gun idea, but its not too practical since the daisy bb gun I have doesn't shoot that far and I'm sure tha the do-gooders who live in back of me would call the cops if they saw me.

One last thought, does anyone think a predator call might scare them away, say like a coyote call?

Thanks fellas


Guess I'm just blessed.

[Tycer]

Is there a small tree near where the torn spot is? If so, is one of the branches torn a little?

[phc45-70]

A predator call is usually the sound of some small animal in distress, so I doubt that will work. I would try pouring my own urine on the spot. If you like beer that would git you a reason to drink more of it. Moth balls are likely your best bet. Liquid fence is a little pricy and didn't seem to work very well for me.

[Don McDowell]

You could put some of the chlorox out in bowls or buckets on the spot, but need to screen cover them so somebodies kitty or puppy doesn't see if it tastes good.

[madman4570]

Believe it or not put some large Rosemary plants around those areas.
If you live where it freezes then you can use potted plants(move them inside but take a couple big plants grind them up and spread that among your problem areas.
Deer absolutely hate it and it has worked well for the wife.

[adirondakjack]

Believe it or not put some large Rosemary plants around those areas.
If you live where it freezes then you can use potted plants(move them inside but take a couple big plants grind them up and spread that among your problem areas.
Deer absolutely hate it and it has worked well for the wife.

That will help. Here our issue is both deer and rabbits wrecking gardens. The wife got a tip someplace and planted marigolds aorund the border f the garden. The critters stayed out this year. Seems they dislike marigolds. Of course she forgot to plant some by our blueberry bushes, and the rabbits severely pruned them.

[Buck Elliott]

Believe it or not put some large Rosemary plants around those areas.
If you live where it freezes then you can use potted plants(move them inside but take a couple big plants grind them up and spread that among your problem areas.
Deer absolutely hate it and it has worked well for the wife.

So, the wife can't stand the Rosemary, either...?

Sounds like the yard in question may have some underlying (but close to the surface) mineral deposits which attract the deer. If none of the above-mentioned remedies "fix" the problem, file a mineral claim, and start mining.......

FWIW, BB-guns don't have enopugh energy to penetrate a deer's hair & hide. Pellet guns are another matter, as those are what we used to vaccinate elk calves against brucellosis... One shot with a vaccine pellet, another from a modified paintball barrel to mark the calf.

A wrist-rocket shooting glass marbles is a very effective 'shock' deterrent, if you can still hit with one at your age. Besides shooing the deer away, IT'S FUN...

[GonnePhishin]

Tycer,

The only tree anywhere near the one particular area of dug up grass (which happens to be within 10 feet of the back of our house), is a pine tree that has lost all of its lower branches up to about 10 feet. But I'll look at the trunk to see if any damage has been done to the bark.

[GonnePhishin]

Buck Elliot wrote:

Sounds like the yard in question may have some underlying (but close to the surface) mineral deposits which attract the deer. If none of the above-mentioned remedies "fix" the problem, file a mineral claim, and start mining.......

I like that one Buck, maybe I'll find some buried federal reserve notes

[OJ]

Colorado is indeed a great state - for beauty (great pics above) and wild game. I bought my house in 1975 and it was the north edge of town - since Colorado Springs could only grow north and east due to geography - I'm now informed the "geographic center" of town is about two miles east of our home. Fortunately, our back yard is next to some 15 acres or so of wooded "Open Space" area that can never be developed so we can enjoy country life in the city.

These are some of our recent visitors -

This big guy naps in our yard, grazes on the long grass ("rustic" zoning here), drinks from the bird bath, and acts like it is his personal yard.



With another buck with a scar on his side -



And - "little brother" -



And, the "harem" -





Even this big guy regards them as friends -



Outweighing most of them may be a factor

In fact - he likes their company since we lost his sister to bone cancer in June.