Deer Resistant Plants

Deer Resistant Plants

Lets talk deer and rabbit repellants.

Best ways to control deer

• An outside dog that loves to chase critters. My new dog is a badger coon dog; they don't work.

• Animal Urine. We used this with some success last fall to stave off the fall deer rut. You shake it around the perimeter. The fox is supposed to be good for cats, rabbits and assorted small varmints. The coyote is for moose and deer. We had no moose damage in our fields this past fall. Works great for Moose. Shake-Away is our animal urine product.

• Putrefied egg solids seem to have the best action. Throw in some clove oil, dried blood and eye of newt and ol' granny would be assured that her plants were safe. These products mask the plant. Dead critters are not part of a deer or rabbits diet. Spraying them gives them a meaty aroma and hence they leave things alone. The trick is in the longevity of the product. A latex carrier helps keep the concoction on the plant.

• Liquid Fence, Repellex, Bidefend, and Shotgun all contain some of the listed meaty ingredients.

• Electric fence - we are using this now with our animal urine. Mixed results. My dog quit going in the field cause his tail hits the fence.

Des Moines Register Letter Published fall 2007 or so

Last month a herd of deer wiped out a crop of shade trees our nursery family had been nurturing for the past ten years. The state law provides for Davy Crockett types to bag deer in the state, but our skills run more akin to Johnny Appleseed. With that in mind I would encourage the state to begin issuing deer licenses for motorists We could all have our own season and think of the income the state would enjoy. An SUV season, a four wheel drive season, and a compact car season will sharpen all of our motoring skills. Bumper buck busters would become a staple at all the automotive stores and while there might be an initial spike in vehicle insurance claims, the overall effect would be a decrease in the deer population. You could bag your deer on the way to or from work and have venison for dinner. No more deer carcasses lining the roads. Last winter I complained so much about looking at one rotting carcass that we finally covered him with an evergreen blanket. They could name the new license 'The Elmer Fudd Permit'and we could all experience the same hunting thrill as the Crockett types.