How to control deer on acreages
Even if you enjoy the sight of deer scampering across your acreage, you may not like the results. Deer damage landscapes by feeding on plants, rubbing their antlers against trees, and scraping the soil around trees.
In areas where deer are a problem, there are several options, says University of Minnesota Extension. Try growing plants that deer find unattractive. Check with your neighbors for their experiences with specific plants, experiment with different plants, and keep records of which plants deer ignore.
Protect your trees
Male deer, or bucks, damage young trees by rubbing and scraping against them during the mating season in an attempt to show their dominance.
Protect individual trees by pounding tall vertical barrier stakes into the soil around each tree, about a foot or so from the trunk. Try pruning trees to remove any branches lower than 6 feet from the ground. This may help to deter bucks from pawing at the soil.
Build a fence
Though they aren't 100% effective, fences can help reduce the number of deer entering an area. For small garden patches, use a 4-foot-high fence or enclose the area with snow fence, as deer avoid small, penned-in sites.
For larger areas, a fence made of wire, angled away from the yard, creates both a psychological and physical barrier. The fence should be 6 feet high and have a 30-degree angle to be effective.
Electric fences attached to a higher voltage charger can deter deer, as they can hear the hum of the charge through the wire without touching it. However, electric fences may not be suitable, especially when children are present.
There are two basic types of deer repellents available. Contact repellents are applied to plants and repel due to a bad taste. Area repellents are placed in the problem area and repel due to a foul odor.
A study conducted in Connecticut tested three deer repellents. Here are the findings:
Deer Away, made from rotten egg solids, is 46% effective. It contains a latex binder that won't wash off plants for two to five months.
Hinder, made from ammonium soaps, is 43% effective. The ammonia smell is offensive to deer.
Thiram, a bitter-tasting fungicide, is 43% effective. It is irritating to eyes, skin, and lungs so use with caution.
Photo: Greg Ryan
