Danged deer...

[mom'sfolly]

They got my garden early. We have drought here. About 3 years ago now, I planted a dwarf pear. It has yet to fruit or even bloom. Why you might ask? Because every year, around the middle of June, the deer come in and eat off every single leaf. The poor tree hasn't got past 3 feet tall.

The tree was fine yesterday, as were the almost ready cucumbers, the blooming melon and some other things. Today I have leafless, fruitless vines and a leafless pear tree. The deer are early this year. At least they haven't got the tomatoes.....yet.

Danged deer!!!!

 

[gamebirdboy]

May I suggest buying a gun this fall?

 

[mom'sfolly]

I live in suburbia with more deer than have ever lived in Texas before. No hunting here...the lots aren't ever 1/4 of an acre. Besides, deer are one thing they don't grow bigger in Texas. I've seen bigger dairy goats.

 

[gamebirdboy]

Maybe you could get one of those things that detects motion and flashes? That might work, if not then the only thing I know of is a big horn that goes off when deer get into a dove field. But I doubt anyone wants to hear an alarm in the middle of the night or early morning...

 

[Mahonri]

Can you set traps if they are that small.

I love venison.

 

[gamebirdboy]

Are traps even legal? Any deer won't fit into a coyote cage or anything like that... You would have to use a hog or bear trap. In your area it should be easy to find a hog trap...

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Hahahaha, a deer would never enter a trap! Anyway, there is a spray that you can put on your plants that is hot pepper based that should do the trick. I have also used Ivory Soap bars around my plants and that too works. Divide the bar into quarters and lay it around the base of the plant. You can also buy coyote urine and follow the instructions on the bottle. I had a terrible time with my apple trees and my Hydrangeas and now the steer clear!

Good luck

 

[Dunkopf]

I'm finishing up an 8' fence around our garden. Anything in the open like trees has to have a fence around it. Far enough away they can't reach over and close enough they can't jump in to it. Wish people would stop feeding them. All the predators are gone, so they just breed.

 

[woodmort]

I feel your pain. The only way we can get anything from our garden is to fence it with an 8' fence--I just put mine up yesterday. I've made portable fencing using 1-inch PVC pipe that I form in panels so it can be moved and reconfigured each year. I move part of it around my rhodendrons each fall to keep the deer from eating them to the ground over the winter as well.

 

[Chickenberry]

Ugh! That would bother me too! We have a fence around our garden which is in our yard with our dogs. I'm sure that's the only reason that deer and other little animals stay away. We are in a very rural area with a lot of deer. For now this seems to work. I'm so sorry about your pear tree!