Re: Re: deer philosophy

In a message dated 12/18/02 4:17:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, mtalt@hort.net 
writes:


> Well, I was just handed a local paper with the following little
> factoids from our local park and planning experts I thought I'd
> share.
> 
> Each deer eats approximately 2 tons of vegetation a year.
> 

I won't get into deer pro and con, I had an electric fence installed as I 
would have no garden in my rural location without the fence.

I know Marge and Marge has been battling deer for years.  Being a gardener 
who's vocation is related to gardening, Marge,  and further it being your 
love in life, deer are not worth the constant discussion of who is right and 
who is wrong.  I agree with everything Marge has said and I have been there 
exactly as she has.

The state of CT has done the be-all/end-all study on deer as they have a 
statewide problem.  Two sides of the issue clash and the deer are not 
concerned with all of our intellectual sparring.

It comes down to this.  You can:

1. Learn to coexist with deer.

2. Shoot deer with hired guns to return the population to that the available 
land can support.

That was it.

If the problem is to be handled by the state where you reside, that is the 
official answer.  All kinds of biological control was studied, this was some 
year's work. When interviewing residents, the opinion was divided evenly as 
to the two above solutions.

What would the politicians do?

If you cannot garden as you wish because of deer, a fence is the only answer. 
 If you are unwilling to install fencing, you have nothing more to say.  
Every horticultural list eventually discusses critter control and while all 
kinds of proposals are offered, with deer only a fence works.  We lose bulbs 
here from mice and voles.  We just lose them.  I cannot count how many times 
I have been offered solutions, cats are the favorite.  I had five cats at one 
time and still had bulb loss.  

I accept the problem is mine as angry as I can become, annoyed, depressed 
whatever, it is my problem to solve.  I don't plant valuable bulbs in the 
open garden.  Woodchucks are another.  If you have woodchucks in the veggies, 
you already know what the answer is.  Birds eat the berries.  We have a cage 
for strawberries which can be removed after the berries are picked, it is a 
nuisance.

Personally I don't like the idea that my garden and I are more valuable than 
these animals.  Still, I like my garden so I do what I can to be happy out 
there and try to strike a balance.  For deer, the only answer is a fence.  
One would be amazed at the pleasure a deer fence can bring into your life.  
The babies dancing around the fields outside the fence become less evil and 
the young bucks are full of life.  A new fawn is a magical creature and life 
goes on.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY
z4

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