Our antlered "friends"

Rima wrote today about deer-munching. I think most of us gardening in 
the USA, country or suburbs, are going nuts from the overpopulation of 
Bambi &, here in the West at least, the elk herds.

Yes, they're both handsome animals & I enjoy seeing them -- but I don't 
like providing their complete salad bar! Both deer & elk have so far 
ignored my bearded iris & haven't chomped the SI's, but then mine are 
new & haven't bloomed yet. But just about every other flowering plant 
has been chomped at one time or another -- except the deadly Daffodil, 
which is why I plant it everywhere. (Besides, it's pretty!)

Neither seems to relish Alliums either, tho some have been stomped in 
the eagerness to get at the Coreposis or other delectable. And neither 
deer nor elk will eat my nemisis, the thistles!

The deer-proof lists I see in magazines & catalogs vary a lot but then 
deer are goats & will eat practically anything if they're really hungry. 
Elk are a tad more selective but their feet & bodies are so much bigger 
they devastate garden areas just investigating to see what they *might* 
add to their diet.

To date, my best successes with sending the antlered ones on their way 
have been the following: a large dog with a big, deep bark whom I 
allowed out at night; & since my dog died of old age, sprinkling 
liberally with Milorganite & Zoo-Grow fertilizers, both of which smell 
"alien", supposedly, to wild critters. This latter approach SEEMS to 
have worked so far this year -- but the acid test will come this fall.

I hope to replace my dog sometime soon with another who's, with luck, an 
equally daunting presence. (My fierce young cat keeps the rodents pretty 
much under control -- doubt he can menace the deer or elk!) I'm curious 
as to what's worked for others, & am specifically interested to hear 
about Feather Meal (don't even know what this is but a high-country 
gardener friend swears by it) & the "invisible" black plastic mesh 
fencing I've seen advertised. Any reactions?

Marte in the mtns	Zone 4, Sunset 1  Colorado  Too dark & rainy out 
to know what's lurking out there now -- even hunting cat came inside
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