OT: Deer deterrents
- Subject: OT: Deer deterrents
- From: l*
- Date: Fri, 5 Jul 02 08:28:05 -0600
Hi Bill,
>Sounds to me like your real deer problem stems from your neighbor.
It's not just one neighbor. Deer feeding is a widespread practice in
this area during the winter. In fact, in severe winters, the DNR used to
provide free deer feed to anyone who wanted it. I don't know whether or
not they quit that practice when they realized how much of the deer feed
was being used to feed domestic livestock instead.
This area LIVES for deer hunting season. In fact, our schools close
every year during rifle opener. Ostensibly for teachers' workshop, we
all know it's really "Deer Hunting Day". It's highly unlikely anyone up
here will ever be convinced to stop doing anything they perceive as
increasing and maintaining the deer population they so dearly love to
kill in the fall.
>They nip a shrub or such now and then
>to get an exotic taste, but there is plenty of natural food around to
>sustain them, so they don't really damage crops or ornamental plantings
>much.
Most of my damage occurs in early spring before their natural browse
leafs out. Damage later in the season is generally the result of
trampling rather than munching, though they do insist on stripping the
leaves from my young Mountain Ash every mid-summer. I just bought some
netting to try to put an end to that.
>
>Having deer stand in the yard or barn door is not normal behavior for a
>wild animal
I know, but allowing a begging and starving animal to go hungry is not
normal behavior for me. It's just something I can't do. I no longer
provide feed during the winter in the deliberate attempt to bring deer in
as I did years ago, but if they show up in need, I don't deny them.
For me, the choice is not deer OR irises. It's figuring out how to
manage both deer AND irises.
Laurie
-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
zone 3b northern MN - clay soil
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