Where the Deer and the Antelope Play...

[Dawgluver]

Your rock planter looks like my whiskey barrel, Andy. The local deer have pruned all my impatiens and ornamental sweet potato vines in it to stubs, and regularily revisit their work to shape up whatever they may have missed. Life in the country.

 

[caseydog]

I used to know what to plant that deer don't like, from back when we had a lake house in East Texas. But, I can not remember what they were. They may not even grow in your area.

I'd say find a good garden store (not big box stores), with experts, and ask what you can plant that deer don't like.

CD

 

[buckytom]

Given that the deer and his/her ancestors where there long before the first house was built, the deer probably think that you are very kind to plant such tasty morsels for him/her delectation.

Hmm, deer don't live that long, nor are sentient to that extent.

But it's a nice idea.

 

[caseydog]

Hmm, deer don't live that long, nor are sentient to that extent.

But it's a nice idea.

You would be surprised. Our lake house was in a National Forest, so hunting was not allowed. The deer there were not afraid, and would often walk through the yard while we were sitting outside, twenty or so feet from us. I'm not sure how they knew we weren't a threat, but somehow, it seems they did.

We didn't feed them (a big no, no), so they weren't bribed.

One thing I remember about what they didn't eat, was that they never messed with our fig tree. They never ate our figs. I have no idea why.

CD

 

[buckytom]

Your figs sucked?

I dunno.

But yeah, cows are nice, and cute, and have big, deep eyes.

Steak, please.

 

[JustJoel]

There’s a deer park in Nara, Japan. They sell deer food for the tourists to feed the deer. Those deer are really nasty. I think being constantly fed has something to do with it.

 

[Rascal]

My grandkids feed deer at small zoos, they love it. We used to go to a zoo when young to see the monkeys. The monkeys used to do unmentionable things.
Glad my grandkids don't go to see monkeys,lol.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

Feeding deer in a zoo is one thing, feeding them in the wild is another. In the National Forest where our lake house was, the park authorities made it very clear that feeding the deer was not allowed. Feeding wild animals changes the population of them. Nature needs to determine whether a lot of wild animals are born, or not.

As more and more people moved into the National Forest, they started feeding the deer, because deer are nice to look at. People put out big piles of dried corn. That led to over-population, which led to disease and a dependence on food from humans, as there wasn't enough food for them just from nature during some seasons/years. So, feeding the deer led to a lot of unnecessary deer deaths.

Going back to the OP, we just have to learn to adapt to nature. When we try to control nature, we mess things up.

Having said that, I want one of those Whirl-A-Squirel bird feeders to hang near my backyard security camera -- just for the entertainment value.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

...Going back to the OP, we just have to learn to adapt to nature. When we try to control nature, we mess things up...

Casey, this may come as a surprise to you, but we didn't plant the pretty flowers to feed the deer.

BTW, a few years ago, when we were having a particularly harsh winter with record snows, the deer decimated several of our euonymus. We lost one the others are taking their time growing back.

 

[Mad Cook]

There’s a deer park in Nara, Japan. They sell deer food for the tourists to feed the deer. Those deer are really nasty. I think being constantly fed has something to do with it.

Yes, in areas of GB where animals are "free range" there are signs forbidding visitors to feed them as it can make them dangerous.

 

[caseydog]

Casey, this may come as a surprise to you, but we didn't plant the pretty flowers to feed the deer.

BTW, a few years ago, when we were having a particularly harsh winter with record snows, the deer decimated several of our euonymus. We lost one the others are taking their time growing back.

I didn't plant tomatoes to feed the birds, but that's what happened.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

I didn't plant tomatoes to feed the birds, but that's what happened.

CD

...and that's why we don't plant tomatoes anymore!

 

[Addie]

I didn't plant tomatoes to feed the birds, but that's what happened.

CD

Did they turn red? Here in the NE they have stayed green.