CULT: Deer deterrents
- Subject: CULT: Deer deterrents
- From: l*
- Date: Thu, 4 Jul 02 22:28:37 -0600
Hey Chris,
>It seems to me that your successes will depend on how you manage to keep
>your deer out.
That's certainly part of it, but even without considering the deer,
northern MN provides plenty of challenges for TBs.
> Excuse my ignorance here, but would some sort of scare
>crow do the trick ?
I doubt it. Our local deer are quite tame. My neighbor feeds a wild
herd of up to 300 deer in severe winters and smaller numbers every
winter. In early spring when he starts tapering off on feeding, I
inevitably end up with quite a few deer on my farm begging for food.
They stand in my front yard and stare in my windows until I go out to do
barn chores. Then they follow me across the yard and stand in the
doorway of the barn until I relent and bring them the corn they so
desperately need at that time of year. Yes, I know, I shouldn't be
encouraging them to stick around if I care about my irises, but I'm just
not one to turn away an animal in need.
And dogs? Forget it! My three canine kids nap in the yard just feet
away from where the deer feed. As far as they're concerned, the deer are
no different than the horses. As far as the deer are concerned, the dogs
bear absolutely no resemblance to the coyotes and timber wolves of the
surrounding forest. If I'd had a camera in my hand at the proper moment,
I could have posted a pic of one doe resting her nose on Raggie's back
while he sniffed out bits of corn in the yard this spring. Then there's
the doe who used to stand at the edge of my iris beds and watch me weed
..
>Moth balls ?
Nope, too dangerous for the other 4-leggeds.
> A couple hundred feet of 6 foot snow fence ?
Possibly, but where would I get my hands on 6' snow fence??? All my snow
fence is only about 4' high - and it was darned expensive at that height!
> What about a commercial deer repellent ? Does this exist ?
It exists, but I don't know if or how long it might actually be effective.
>
>What about actually feeding the deer ?
Done that. Doesn't help the irises any.
> Do they eat hay ?
Rarely. They prefer living vegetation or grains.
>
>Maybe you could plant some very inexpensive spring flowering bulbs that
>you don't care much about to distract them from the iris fans.
Anything I provide for them to eat will just lure more of them into my
yard. Again, it wouldn't save the irises - perhaps promote a faster
death for them, though. ;-)
>These are just suggestions in hopes that you'll have a better bloom
>season next year.
Thanks, Chris. I know you're trying to help. A tall fence might be my
only protective option. I just don't know that I want to go to that sort
of trouble and expense. I'm more inclined to accept the deer as part of
the natural selection process. The irises that make it past that
particular gauntlet can stay. Those that succomb ... leave.
Tough iris love here at Shadowood.
Laurie
-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
zone 3b northern MN - clay soil
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