I moved into this house nine years ago. It sits on the corner of the road into the tiny 10 house subdivision and a busy county road. Our side of the road is city, the other county. The road is very busy at times and there is no privacy in the back yard. I had good luck using Leland Cyprus trees as a buffer when I lived in Chattanooga, so naturally started planting them here to do the same. Planted in a ninety degree configuration, staggered every eight feet, it takes 14 to do the job. I started buying the three gallon trees from Lowes, $17 a shot, little by little. I planted down the subdivision road, than along the county road. Took my time, planted as I could afford. Last couple of trees were planted a year after the first. The next year some knot headed little buck killed the two newest by rubbing them. Lowes paid for the replacements with their guarantee, The next year same darn thing!. I replanted. This time, come September, I drove nails into tomato stakes on three sides and drove them in the ground around the two little trees. No rubs. I replaced the stakes with tomato cages. They worked too. I then had to combine two cages as they grew. This year I placed a trail camera under the deck pointed at the trees. I got pictures of doe, fawns, and knot headed six point. The next week I noticed rub marks on the next biggest tree. Man was I POd. I came home late one night and saw deer in the back yard. I slipped out on the deck just in time to see the six pointer pass through. I ran to the safe, got a twelve gauge, and then had to run to the basement for a shell. He was gone when I got back. I leaned the gun in the corner and placed the shell on the fireplace mantle. I looked for that illegitimate son every nite at the same time for five days. The sixth day he came through again. I slipped out on the deck, let him get about forty yards away, aimed to the south of his arse and caught him on the edge of the pattern of 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2. He kicked like a mule and headed for parts unknown. I figured that was that.

Well I just got back from the mailbox. As I was turning around I looked across the yard and here were two more trees with their bare limbs gleaming in the evening sun! This time he, or a cousin, had taken on a much bigger cypress, about 12 feet. I wrapped the bare limbs with electricians tape. That tape will fix anything, right? I then started driving more nails into more tomato stakes. The shot gun is back out along with the shot shell. I ought to use something more lethal and then drag his butt down to the road and let the state pick him up.

Anyone dealt with this before?

I am hot enough to breed.

Just a thought.

I love problem resolution with a happy ending!
Good luck
Mike

Hell, if you're willing to fire a shotgun at him and he was at 40 yards, why not just use a slug and aim just behind his front shoulder.

Problem solved, and meat on the table.
2 birds, 1 stone.

I had a similar problem with them rubbing on my maple trees I'd planted along my driveway when they were smaller. I got a tube of BIRD-X and slathered on the tree trunks in the fall and they stopped rubbing on my trees.

Later, I found out about Nature's Defense Deer Repellent. Little pack that you hang on the tree and the deer don't like the smell. They seem to work too.

Nature's Defense: Organic Deer Repellent Packs | Bird-X

I had to replace several of my maples before they got large enough for them to quit rubbing on them. I knew I had to do something because after I'd killed several deer in my yard I realized I couldn't kill enough to make them stop, so Plan 'B' was to use the repellents.

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MSTUHR- yummmmmmmm

As far as repellents, you might consider using coyote urine. How you'll get a coyote to help you out and pee on your trees is a different problem.

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I'm with the banned ...

I gave up, ya can't fight mother nature, at least not the deer kind without a lethal dose of lead
the desert mule deer paid no attention to the repellent it at all.

I'll loan you Harbor...he'll be happy to help you out...


Attachment 92940

Pete

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Don't tread on me

For a modest fee, round trip airfare and expenses I will poop and pee on your lawn for a week.

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Vaya con Dios

For a modest fee, round trip airfare and expenses I will come kill the deer.
Can never have enough venison.

Thanks David, I'll pass.

Years ago I tried shooting deer with small shot and running them off. WILL NOT WORK! The only thing that really works is shoot to kill. Larry

Thanks Faulkner I'll look into the repellent.

Hillbilly, I don't have any reservations about dropping them in their tracks. But, I might have an issue with gutting them in the entrance to the subdivision. There has to be something in the covenant about disemboweling deer in your back yard.

why don't you just pee on the trees yourself??? That should keep them away. Or better yet pee into the roundup sprayer and after a week you'll have enough to spray them all.
Jeeze...and to think I get paid for giving out advice like this.

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Forum consigliere

Had a similar situation involving abore vitum cedars. We had planted a row of them between the neighbors property instead of a fence row as a privacy screen. They had grown to a considerable height of about 10' and filled in to the point that they nearly touched, we were very happy with their progress. The following winter was pretty severe and during a particularly cold February I went out to see where the deer had come down and started eating on the arborvitum, they ate as high up as they could reach, with the snowfall it allowed them to eat all the branches nearly down to the trunk up to about the last foot or so, leaving a little top knot. Too close for a violent ending to the problem I tried to save the remaining trees by hanging "Irish Spring" soap, a method I was told could work, they ate around the soap. I sprinkled blood meal, it didn't work either. In the end I had to tell myself that my cedars saved the deer from starvation, the bushes came back but it took years to get back to their lush fullness. As my wife would always remind me..."The deer were here first."

Best way to keep deer away from an area? Its simple, put mother nature to work for you and look for a life sized and well painted model of the biggest predator they have in your area. Around here it would be a coyote. I would imagine where you're located it would be the same or possibly even a mountain lion. Move it around often so they don't get used to it in one spot and I guarantee they will stay away.

IIRC, Latex paint can be used for the bare spots. Might be better AND more sightly than tape.

Ask your favorite hair salon to save their floor sweepings for you.

Human hair is the best non-lethal repelant I have seen used, it works!

If we get pictures, Cage and I (and probably a couple of others) will chip in!

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I bought some deer repellent at the local Home depot, sprayed it around my apple trees and flower bed to keep the deer and rabbits away. I can't remember the name of the stuff, but it worked really good. I stunk really bad when you first spray it but after it dry's no odor. We have a problems with deer in the city and we can't shot them. This spray works.

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Carpriver.

Jim, now you've got me worried. Just what is it you want pictures of?

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

See if you can get the county to put up a Deer Crossing sign at least two miles down the road from your property. The deer will detour away from your property to comply with the crossing sign.

In the alternative, you might want to implement a strategy based on diplomacy, appeasement and unilateral disarmament. Neville Chamberlain followed this strategy and within 6 years England's greatest existential threat was totally irradicated.

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