I live in Wisconsin. Hunting is big in Wisconsin. (It ranks right up there with the Green Bay Packers, cheese and beer.) However, I grew up in Hawaii where the only things locals would hunt were deals at the local mall. Actually, come to think of it, I do know some residents who would hunt wild boar near the base of a dormant volcano. But, I digress–back to hunting in the Midwest. When I first moved to Madison, Wisconsin to attend college (almost two decades ago) I was stunned to see people driving through town with dead deer strapped to the trunks of their cars. Dead deer? On cars? On Thanksgiving? “Never mind, Thanksgiving,” said my roommate. “It’s deer hunting season.” Welcome to Wisconsin!
For years I would pass lifeless bodies of deer strapped to cars as I drove along Wisconsin’s highways on my way to Thanksgiving dinner with friends. I always felt a pang of sadness when I looked at the bodies of bucks and does neatly tied to the top of vehicles–no doubt on their way to the processing plant. That is, until one year, when Bambi decided to ram his head into the side of my car (by accident, of course). Then in the blink of an eye, my opinion on hunting changed.
I share this anecdote with you in an effort to segue way into the real purpose of this blog (yes, it will offer something more than just my aforementioned Bambi tale): How to keep deer from destroying your garden. Yes, we all know that deer can severely damage cars (and themselves in the process), but you may be surprised at how many homeowners are battling an ever-growing deer population in their own backyards.
Deer become very bold when food is scarce. Some will go so far as to venture into suburban yards. They are looking to munch on leaves, roses, fruits, vegetables, stems, even the buds of woody plants. To a starving deer your yard is the smorgasbord they’ve been looking for. You can tell that they have been grazing by the distinctive jagged edge they leave on leaves and plants, not to mention their distinctive cloven hoof prints.
So what can you do to keep these fuzzy, four-legged creatures from choosing your yard as their backyard buffet? Here are some ideas:
· Plant foul flavored plants or plants with hairy or furry leaves (deer tend to stay away from these).
· Tie ornamentals with human hair, dog hair, rotten eggs, soap or hot pepper to trees branches
· Spread predator urine on flowers and bushes.
· Deer can also be scared away by motion sensor devices attached to lights or loud music.
· Erect a fence. (Though I do know some homeowners who have found this only works as a preventive measure—once a deer finds what he wants in your yard it is unlikely that a fence is going to stop it from gaining access. Yes, I have seen wire fences trashed by aggressive deer.)