White Tail Deer-Public Enemy #1

I HATE the White Tail Deer.

Seriously, I can't think of another animal I dislike so much. Even scary ones like piranha and lions-At least I can stay away from them.

Try as I might, I CANNOT stay away from the white tail deer. They walk past my windows when I'm eating. They eat from the urns on my front porch. Their babies frolic in the backyard while we are sitting on chairs in full view. I don't live in the woods. I live on a residential street that backs up to a one block wooded area that houses a small herd. I'm completely over their cuteness. Now they look like giant rats.

I've thrown shoes at them. I yell like a crazy woman when I see them in the yard. It's INSANE. They keep coming back.

THEY ARE EATING MY GARDEN.

True, I don't have it fenced in. That is what really needs to happen and that isn't happening any time soon. I've tried these garlic clips. COMPLETELY USELESS. One day I saw a deer eating a tomato plant that had a garlic clip attached to the tomato cage!!!

One thing that has been helping is deer fencing-Not installed the typical way. Laid down on the ground. Apparently the deer don't like the feel of this on their feet. (It's the green stuff in the photo) It doesn't look great but we take it off when people are coming over. It has been working. But once we left it off for about 20 minutes to mow the lawn and the deer ate the strawberries. Last night some of the fence was not put back in place properly and the damage was devastating (to me anyway)

I think I need some real fencing. I really don't want to install a 6 foot wire or mesh fence around this garden (This is a somewhat early photo and it's really filling in nicely.) but I'm getting desperate.

I'm thinking that as a frugal measure for my food bill I may start to supplement our meals with venison. (Ah, if only I could discharge a weapon in my neighborhood!)

People keep asking "Have you tried this?" and "Have you done that" and it's all anecdotal. No one has provided something that they have done that has actually kept the deer away. I have a spray for flowers but it is not for food. I need some good solid advice people. I need something proven to take care of the toughest deer. I'm getting desperate.

In the mean time we have been telling my girl that they are Santa's reindeer checking up on her and reporting back. For some reason we always see Dasher.

On a somewhat unrelated, related note, we saw deer from the largest white deer herd in the world last weekend on a wine tour around Seneca Lake. They look almost magical against a natural setting It was rather cool. Especially because they were fenced in on the Depot property and not in my backyard!