Effing Deer!!!

[mitchamus]

So, the deer at my farm have been having a nice munch on my conifers

Does anyone know how you stop them from doing this?

(Short of putting a small piece of lead in their ear)

I have heard that they don't like eucalyptus oil? has anyone tried using this?

as you can imagine, info on wild deer is a bit thin on the ground down here.

[grisell]

Chicken wire around the stem might help. If there's any consolation, we have the same problem over here...

[mitchamus]

yeah - they have chicken wire around them, unfortunately, they have grown above the stuff around them.

this shot is about waist height off the ground.


I'm going to plant about 100 cider apple trees later this year, and 25 pear trees.

the cost of the wire to protect them, is more than the cost of the actual trees...


Although the kangaroos would clean them up if there was no deer anyway...

[Big Guy]

That doesn't look like they were munching. It looks like what we call a rub.
When a deers velvet is starting to dry they rub and thrash their antlers
on trees and brush. In preperation for the breeding battles to come.

[grisell]

[---]
I'm going to plant about 100 cider apple trees later this year, and 25 pear trees.
[---]

That's gonna be a real feast for the deer!

[mitchamus]

It looks like what we call a rub.

wow really?


We heard them fighting and bellowing at Easter...

[mitchamus]

That's gonna be a real feast for the deer!

If they do... I'll be eating apple venison for a long *LONG* time!!

[dorsets21]

two strands of elecky fence would help and some post for them to scratch on

[Sam Newman]

How about a pitbul?

[Kyle]

That's a deer "rub" for sure. They rub their velvet off of the antlers and they like the scent that it gives them. They love to rub pines and cedars.

Electric fence would do it but be prepared to fix it often...they'll run through it.

[ChickenTurtle]

Since we're on a sausage making forum, and I shoot, I'd go for the piece of lead! ( or in my case it'd be a 50grm buckshot cartridge since I'm a shotty lover, not a rifler.

[crustyo44]

Mitchamus,
Before you bag some deer, do check up in regards to a licence that allows you to protect your income or your goolies will be nailed to the courthouse notice board.
Regards,
Jan.
Brisbane.

[Dogfish]

Yeah that's for sure a rub. Did they work the ground around the tree also?

They'll eat your fruit trees to a nub and especially seem to like cherry leaves. You'll need at least 8 ft fencing to keep them out.

Don't know if Australia has a similar feature but the Canadian First Nations have what rights guaranteeing a licence which means they can shoot whatever and whenever deer they want for food purposes. They've become the unofficial pest control guys in more than a few places. Might be a consideration.

Although the lead pill idea is charming.

[tommix]

Here in California I can get a depredation permit from fish and game to shoot wild pigs out of my grain fields. The permit allows me to take as many as I want and I can spotlight them at night when they are out doing their damage. All you have to do is show a game warden the damage that they are causing. I can utilize the meat anyway I want; use it myself, give it away or whatever, I just can't sell the meat.