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Please share your experience with deer eating your plants

HwyBill

HwyBill

Banned
I had this wonderful plan to set my plants in the ground in a large plot on my family's farm.

However, these aspirations have been recently crushed, as I have noticed a few THPers commenting on having had their plants roached by deer, who apparently like to eat pepper plants.

There are a lot of deer on my parent's farm, in fact they even set salt blocks out on their property to attract them since my dad's wife likes to photograph them.

Has anybody had any experiences with deer eating their plants? Was my once wonderful idea now a bad idea? Is there anything that can be done to combat the deer from preying on the plants?
 
I am worried about this too. I read a few things you can do like putting human hair around the garden but I wonder how efficient that would be. I wonder also if the horses will keep the deer away because we often see deers in the distance on the farm but I have yet to see one come closer (where I plan to plant my little friends).
 
I always put mine out in the garden and have never had that problem. I'm not going to say it don't happen but they always leave tracks in there and eat the spinach. I've had plants stepped on but like i said never eaten.
 
I have read a few places that say dried blood meal will deter deer. You can google it for yourself but also ive read about blood meal lowering your ph level so you may need to supplement with a ph booster as well
 
Bonide has a couple products that don't harm the deer. One is pellets that you spread around the area go the pepper plants. It annoys their respitory system enough to make them just avoid the area.
ive used it (same exact product) for squirrels and it does work.
 
We live in the heart of North America's highest Mule Deer population, and after years of trying to figure this out, we have come down to two helpful things.

1.) Surround your garden or 'patch' with Deer undesirables like Shasta daisies, Daffodils, Cosmos, Marigolds, and POTENT HERBS, like Mint, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro, and Feverfew. Any herb that when you rub up against, leaves a scent. Deer hate herbs. 75% effective but you can control this.

2.) And believe me when I say to wear rubber gloves. Not because it's toxic (it's Non-Toxic) It smells like the worst rotten egg piss you have ever smelt... Liquid Fence. 100% effective. You can spray it directly on your plants (rinse before consumption lol). re-apply after rain or once a month.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 5023
 
I've tried all sorts of things... Bottom line is if they're hungry they're going to eat. If you don't want to smell the nasty liquid fence just put up a real one; don't have to worry about it washing away or them just not caring, or running out of it. I had deer decimate a few of my plants last year. You don't need all this heavy wire crap that's advertised for lots of money, I found that bird netting works just as well and plastic will never rust. Once they try to push into it a few times they'll figure out something's there and move on. I used two 1"x10' rebar poles on a 60' long stretch of garden with .5"x6' green garden support poles every 15', make sure it's at least 6' tall. It's a bit tricky figuring out the best way to weave it and pull it tight but it works.
 
Thanks for all the great advice.. I will definitely look into some of these interventions.

Is it pretty safe to say, then, that if I do nothing, I can count on these animals eating my plants?
 
Yes.

Our neighbor had 30 or so Jalapeño plants full. He was going to pick, but thought he'd wait until the next day.
Well, the next day he found all of his beautiful peño plants with all of the fruit gone. down to the ground.

Eaten.

by those damm deer. not one pod, plant or even a leaf.

they have a taste for night shade spicinext. and they probably shit seeds all over this county!
 
Hey, efficient way to snag lunch too!
Haha seriously though scovie, I'm kidding; I actually have never had anything get stuck.
It's not like I weaved my fence out of plastic 6-pack holders and make a new one every year :P
 
Well this brings up another interesting policy to debate.

In the State of Illinois, it is illegal to hunt deer in the presence of bait. In that spirit, hunting deer off the property is illegal as long as that salt-lick is setting out their on the dam of the pond... but if I go and remove that salt block just hours before I start hunting, is the approach now suddenly licit? I'm not sure the current policy addresses this.

In a similar manner, I'm not trying to bait animals with my pepper plants, God knows the last thing I want them to do is eat my plants, but it seems like I would probably be protected harvesting these animals if I see them preying upon my crops.

God bless you my father's wife, but we might have an abundance of very spicy deer jerky this year.
 
HwyBill said:
Well this brings up another interesting policy to debate.

In the State of Illinois, it is illegal to hunt deer in the presence of bait. In that spirit, hunting deer off the property is illegal as long as that salt-lick is setting out their on the dam of the pond... but if I go and remove that salt block just hours before I start hunting, is the approach now suddenly licit? I'm not sure the current policy addresses this.

In a similar manner, I'm not trying to bait animals with my pepper plants, God knows the last thing I want them to do is eat my plants, but it seems like I would probably be protected harvesting these animals if I see them preying upon my crops.

God bless you my father's wife, but we might have an abundance of very spicy deer jerky this year.
Click to expand...

In Virginia, we have a thing called a kill permit that can be applied for. Hunting regulations do not apply. Whether it's a farm or not and deer devastate your crops you are allowed to eliminate them as you may; every county and township has its own regulations but I know if its a farm anything goes; baiting and spotlighting are permitted, unlimited amount you can take and no license or fees from the state. They are considered a nuisance species here, we have more than when the settlers first came over and they're causing deforestation and thousands of accidents every year.
Check with your local game and fish office and inquire. It costs nothing to ask, and better be safe than sorry. It also helps to take down the persons name you spoke with and what was discussed just in case a neighbor or somebody has a problem with it. I put up a fence because my neighbor is beyond liberal and I would rather not stir up any issues.
 
Scoville DeVille said:
We live in the heart of North America's highest Mule Deer population, and after years of trying to figure this out, we have come down to two helpful things.

1.) Surround your garden or 'patch' with Deer undesirables like Shasta daisies, Daffodils, Cosmos, Marigolds, and POTENT HERBS, like Mint, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro, and Feverfew. Any herb that when you rub up against, leaves a scent. Deer hate herbs. 75% effective but you can control this.

2.) And believe me when I say to wear rubber gloves. Not because it's toxic (it's Non-Toxic) It smells like the worst rotten egg piss you have ever smelt... Liquid Fence. 100% effective. You can spray it directly on your plants (rinse before consumption lol). re-apply after rain or once a month.

Hope this helps.

View attachment 5023
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I just put down today, only for rabbits. I hope it works. The rabbits have been eating the tops right off my plants.

EDIT: It doesn't show the pic you posted. I used the deer and rabbit spray.
 
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