My Deer Friend

[VAFisher]

There is a product called Liquid Fence I spray a large circle around some of my larger potted Fruit trees that keeps them from chewing off the branches. I mix the concentrate in a 1 gallon water container. If you do that mix it outside - It really smells HORRIBLE but an hour after application it calms down. Rabbits avoid it too so a little around the cedars saves a lot of lower foliage.

Grimmy

I may have to look into this product for the rabbits. I have a large flower bed in my front yard where I planted 4 sedums. I was looking forward to having the blooms all summer. Something just continuously sheared all of them and pretty much kept them to bare stalks all year. I don't know for sure what did it but we have a large rabbit population.

Great trees @RKatzin. Hope you can keep her away from them. What did you take a shot at her with?

 

[cbroad]

Yuck... Just mixed up a gallon of Bonide's Repel All, got some on my hands, now I can look forward to that smell all day, awesome...

From my experience, you should switch products every couple months because the deer will learn and start eating the plants again; you gotta keep them on their toes. Messina also make a good product.

 

[BigBen]

@RKatzin
Very nice trees and cool pics of "Bambi", thanks for sharing.

Do you know what size the pot is in the first pic, and where you purchased it?

Thanks Again,
BB

 

[ajm55555]

Scarecrows with motion activated sentry guns hidden in their faces.

I'm glad you put a smiley at the end ;-)

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Cool pics..
Next time take a shot with a bullet.

And yes, venison sausage is yummy!
@thumblessprimate1

A buddy served me some blend wi th pork and jalapeños. The way he grilled it, it was better than bacon.

 

[just.wing.it]

A buddy served me some blend wi th pork and jalapeños. The way he grilled it, it was better than bacon.

Wow, better than bacon....that's saying something there...
Cool!
I gotta get some.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm glad you put a smiley at the end ;-)

I am a lover of all nature, but I like to play around!

 

[Arcto]

I don't see the movement in the trunk making a convincing windswept. Windswept seems to be one of the most often attempted but difficult to really pull off styles in Bonsai. Don't take what is a nice tree and turn it into some jacked up attempt at a windswept... it is already a good informal upright/ leaning start. Just keep on that path and refine it...

Agreed. Birdsnest Spruce are like Mugos. So many thin multi-trunk nursery plants. Finding one with a good single trunk infrequent. An upright Birdsnest Spruce like what you have is even more rare. You are set up for success with a leaner here. If you are determined to do a windswept, that tree can wait. Get some cheap practice material and try your hand at those first. Ideally, you can work thru some wonky ones before taking a chance with this one.

 

[Rambles]

Deer here are not picky, but what they will eat or leave seems to vary geographically. In some places they will mow down heather and kinnikinnick, but move a mile north and decorative salvia and sage are the preferred supper. When I worked at a retail nursery around here, when folks asked for a deer resistant plant, I'd quip "tried cactus?"

"No dice," said one customer, "I'm here because they ate of my prickly pears. Do you have anything with a concealed permit?"

 

[Giga]

Wow, better than bacon....that's saying something there...
Cool!
I gotta get some.

How bout wrapped in bacon?

 

[rockm]

Don't know which regs apply to where you are, but bow season opens soon out there (As it does here) some areas say "antlerless deer" which to me, means "doe" like the one in your picture.

http://www.eregulations.com/oregon/big-game-hunting/oregon-deer-hunting-regulations/

Venison sausage is good, jalapeno and cheese venison sausage is better, as is venison chili (skip the beans) and the backstrap can be wrapped in bacon and grilled.

 

[RKatzin]

BigBen, the pot is a nursery pot that I cut off at six inches. Good way to repurpose and the cut off tops are handy for ring guards around trees in the garden.

 

[RKatzin]

Thanks for the kind words for the trees pictured. I shot the pics out of my living room window with my phone. If I had used my thirty o six you would be looking at pepper jerky and butterflied back strap. I would never shoot out my window, at a deer. I enjoy their visits, which are rare due to my four Jack Russell alarm system.
I'm pretty deep into their territory, I try to keep my intrusion minimal and respectful. Bears? Now that's a total different story. LOL

 

[just.wing.it]

How bout wrapped in bacon?

 

[just.wing.it]

Venison sausage is good, jalapeno and cheese venison sausage is better, as is venison chili (skip the beans) and the backstrap can be wrapped in bacon and grilled.

Dude, stop it!
I can't read this stuff while I'm stuck at an airport for the next few hours....I gotta get home!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

In Michigan, a farm can get nuisance permits. Then you can shoot deer 365 days a year, doe or bucks. But you have to submit photos of damage to the economic crop caused by the deer. However 3 acres of blueberries is good enough to get a permit for 76 acres. Check you local state regulations.

Coyote urine is a good repellent. Leave a dish or two of dog kibble out, in no time you'll have a regular pack of coyotes. I'd rather have the coyotes than deer, but both have their nuisance issues. Outdoor cats won't last long with the coyotes around.

 

[wlambeth]

Go piss on all the trees at the perimeter
You can also put up wind chimes as it spooks them

 

[Wilson]

In Michigan, a farm can get nuisance permits. Then you can shoot deer 365 days a year, doe or bucks. But you have to submit photos of damage to the economic crop caused by the deer. However 3 acres of blueberries is good enough to get a permit for 76 acres. Check you local state regulations.

Coyote urine is a good repellent. Leave a dish or two of dog kibble out, in no time you'll have a regular pack of coyotes. I'd rather have the coyotes than deer, but both have their nuisance issues. Outdoor cats won't last long with the coyotes around.

Coyotes are great pest controllers, fox too! I get to see the new litter of fox pups every year at the farm down the road. They are super efficient rodent killers!

 

[morb]

hand soap shavings work well for a while till they get used to the smell then switch soap.

 

[AutumnWolf13]

hand soap shavings work well for a while till they get used to the smell then switch soap.

Anything works till they get used to it. I've seen deer walking nonchalantly through a yard with a barking Grerman Sheppard that was tied up 25 yards away. I watched a man walking out of the woods with his bow in hand and climbing stand on his back, followed 50-75 yards back by a doe. She followed him down the trail to the edge of the field, and watched him cross the field and get in his truck and drive off, then she turn around and walked back into the woods. I have been on a tractor and seen 12 deer walk to the field edge of at the top of a hill when they heard the tractor and watch for an hour.
They are exceptionally crafty and very well adjusted to dealing with human activity, save for high speed lead poisoning! I'll take a fish strap pan fried in butter medium rare. Geez, I'm drooling all over my keyboard. That reminds me, gotta get my hunting gear in order!