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that's an epidemic. but 99% of us don't live in those conditions.
most people don't take measures to establish property boundaries against animals. you can blame alot of deer problems to people gazing in awe of a mother and fawn from the windows and letting them roam across their yards. these people are basically, enablers.. you have lots of people from urban areas now moving to suburbs, who watch as groundhogs dig holes in their yards, chipmunks run rampant, and deer roam freely.. when i see deer in my yard, i send a warning shot or make loud noises and make sure they hear me when i yell, "get out of here". and i don't need to do this often, mostly to new adolescent deer with no memory.
deers will absolutely not enter areas with lots of foot traffic. you will almost never see a deer walk into a downtown area filled with people. i bet in a block of homes, the house that plays alot of music, has pool parties, and people laughing and talking hardly ever have a deer problem. outdoor speakers playing talk radio and music all day really does work.
Deer get use to people and noise. I have watched deer graze down range at busy shooting ranges - as long as you are not shooting at them and they are 'protected' there; they would rather have the grass. As far as people: if you have one neighbor that hand feeds the deer; so much for fear. You can shout at the deer and they will come back as soon as you are gone or simply ignore you if they have become accustomed to shouting. All you have to do is Google: "worst cities for deer problems" and you will see that the problems are spreading.
Deer get use to people and noise. I have watched deer graze down range at busy shooting ranges - as long as you are not shooting at them and they are 'protected' there; they would rather have the grass. As far as people: if you have one neighbor that hand feeds the deer; so much for fear. You can shout at the deer and they will come back as soon as you are gone or simply ignore you if they have become accustomed to shouting. All you have to do is Google: "worst cities for deer problems" and you will see that the problems are spreading.
here in nj, there are lots of deer and i've never encountered deer that will eat from a human's hand. again, it comes down to humans acting as predators in the food chain. as we continue to be enablers of their behavior, the problem persists and worsens. yes, deers get used to people and noise, but it behooves people to imprint fear back into their instincts. it should be illegal for anyone to feed wild deer. they are invasive, cost the US economy billions of dollars, and they cause traffic accidents and deaths on the road.
i used to have deer problems at my home, and we don't anymore because i've taken actions as described in my previous posts. reality is, most people do nothing and that's the main problem. if your geography has a deer epidemic, then you need to go to town hall, speak with local govt and open a dialog in incentivizing deer hunting. i take out 5-10 deer every season in hunting grounds north of where i live and donate the carcasses
Large pinwheels. i have a vegetable garden that deers used to feast on. i placed 3 large reflective pinwheels high on a stick facing different directions within the garden. no more deer.
shiny aluminum pie plates hung on a rope on a stick work too. a light breeze will make them wobble, make noise, and reflect glaring sunlight.
here in nj, there are lots of deer and i've never encountered deer that will eat from a human's hand. again, it comes down to humans acting as predators in the food chain. as we continue to be enablers of their behavior, the problem persists and worsens. yes, deers get used to people and noise, but it behooves people to imprint fear back into their instincts. it should be illegal for anyone to feed wild deer. they are invasive, cost the US economy billions of dollars, and they cause traffic accidents and deaths on the road.
i used to have deer problems at my home, and we don't anymore because i've taken actions as described in my previous posts. reality is, most people do nothing and that's the main problem. if your geography has a deer epidemic, then you need to go to town hall, speak with local govt and open a dialog in incentivizing deer hunting. i take out 5-10 deer every season in hunting grounds north of where i live and donate the carcasses
Unfortunately it is not against the law to feed deer. Some communities can enact local regulations against feeding deer. Just look at the amount of molasses corn sold in both feed stores and sporting goods stores. I presume much of the corn sold in the sporting goods stores is used illegally to bait deer since they seem to feature it during hunting season.
I have no problems with you trying to discourage deer; I have been there and done that. Deer are out there and forage 24/7 and, I just feel, that homeowners and gardeners are simply outgunned!
deer belong in the forests but they've been encroaching human dwellings for that easy meal. what i see is a multi-generational shift past 50 or so years. my grandfather used to hunt deer every fall as did all my other friend's grandfathers for sport and also, social responsibility. bear hunting as well. there is a black bear epidemic brewing, and these animals will kill. today, you have alot of clueless folk living in suburbs who think having deer walk on their lawn is cool, and part of this new pastoral life they've discovered. they just sit and watch them eat up their lawns and plants and rationalize, they were here first. there is lots of food in the forest, but people's gardens and property is like a smorgasbord and deer want that easy food. i've been seeing some really fat deer lately. they are much fatter than i've ever seen.
btw i never kill deer on my property, but give them warning shots or tell them to get out. when i do go hunting is in their natural habitat, without use of bait where deer have their greatest advantage, knowing their terrain. this is all for ethical reasons and deer and humans should exist in the pyramid within fair playing field.
Last edited by HarryHaller73; 07-05-2016 at 08:38 PM..
An Irish Wolfhound is a very effective deer repellent
Try laying some chicken wire on the ground around the trees, usually deer won't step on it.
Add a couple of strands of heavy monofilament fishing line stretched tightly above the top of your existing fence, the deer can't see or smell it and when they touch it, it scares them.
deer belong in the forests but they've been encroaching human dwellings for that easy meal. what i see is a multi-generational shift past 50 or so years. my grandfather used to hunt deer every fall as did all my other friend's grandfathers for sport and also, social responsibility. bear hunting as well. there is a black bear epidemic brewing, and these animals will kill. today, you have alot of clueless folk living in suburbs who think having deer walk on their lawn is cool, and part of this new pastoral life they've discovered. they just sit and watch them eat up their lawns and plants and rationalize, they were here first. there is lots of food in the forest, but people's gardens and property is like a smorgasbord and deer want that easy food. i've been seeing some really fat deer lately. they are much fatter than i've ever seen.
btw i never kill deer on my property, but give them warning shots or tell them to get out. when i do go hunting is in their natural habitat, without use of bait where deer have their greatest advantage, knowing their terrain. this is all for ethical reasons and deer and humans should exist in the pyramid within fair playing field.
In 1999 NJ allowed hunters to bait deer. Here, in PA, we have to stop feeding deer 90 days prior to the season and during the hunting season. In PA selling 'deer corn' is a lucrative business for our sporting goods stores right through the deer season - somebody does not follow our laws.
We have two elderly neighbors that hand feed the deer. The deer have no fear of humans. Our 'wild' turkeys don't look too wild either.
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