Deer deterrents

[muscardinus]

Round my parts some people have a habit of loosely tying plastic bags (such as old fertiliser or cement bags) to shrubs and gaps in hedges, in an attempt to stop the local red deer from barging through and generally causing a nuisance in gardens.

Before long it looks unsightly as the plastic gets ragged and torn as it flaps around, and it sticks on thorns - so my question is, does this work? Does anyone know if this type of deer deterrent makes the slightest difference?

From a distance it looks as if otherwise pristine hedges have litter hanging off them!

I'm new to WAB so apologies if this has been talked about before...

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by muscardinus

Round my parts some people have a habit of loosely tying plastic bags (such as old fertiliser or cement bags) to shrubs and gaps in hedges, in an attempt to stop the local red deer from barging through and generally causing a nuisance in gardens.

Before long it looks unsightly as the plastic gets ragged and torn as it flaps around, and it sticks on thorns - so my question is, does this work? Does anyone know if this type of deer deterrent makes the slightest difference?

From a distance it looks as if otherwise pristine hedges have litter hanging off them!

I'm new to WAB so apologies if this has been talked about before...

Quantock Staghounds?

[jennyb]

I don't have a problem with Red Deer but I do with Roe Deer and Muntjacs.

I haven't found a deterrent that works for any length of time and I am fairly sure that plastic bags won't work.

I decided to just enjoy the deer in the garden and not to plant any plants that they eat (most things) unless they are in very high hanging baskets!

You can see a list of things on my web site that I have found from experience they don't eat (some of these added from another thread on WAB) at Plants that deer don't eat.

This list is not definitive because if there is nothing else deer will eat anything, but I have found these to be the only flowers/shrubs that I can grow without them being completely destroyed.

This afternoon, I have just been watching 3 roe deer nibbling around my garden and if I had to choose between this and the flowers, then it has to be the deer. I do miss those pretty summer bedding plants, though!

Jenny

[Brian Phipps]

Originally Posted by Deerhunter

Quantock Staghounds?

Ha Ha Ha...I thought the same but couldn`t bring myself to type it!!

Brian Phipps

[shei111]

Yes let the deer come in , such a beautiful animal, buy yourself a pot plant !! sheila

[muscardinus]

I don't mind the deer though they make growing veggies difficult. It's more the neighbours and farmers trying to keep them out really - I feel like taking down their unsightly flapping bags.

Originally Posted by Deerhunter

Quantock Staghounds?

Ah, the Staghounds. I have a feeling they must have cropped up on WAB before! Suffice to say that the hunt divides opinion - it's an open question how effective they are at controlling deer numbers, and that's even before we get to the subject of hunting down animals with packs of dogs.

[salukiwhippet]

Electric fencing at least 6' tall, or a suitable centrefire rifle. I would doubt the long term effectiveness of plastic bags.

James

[muldonach]

Originally Posted by salukiwhippet

Electric fencing at least 6' tall, or a suitable centrefire rifle. I would doubt the long term effectiveness of plastic bags.

James

Second that - the keywords being "long term" - Roe tend to be suspicious of anything new so any "deterrent" has a limited lifespan. The only really effective deterrents are human or canine presence, or an impermeable fence - which for roe has to be pretty good.

cheers
mac

[smartie]

I tried tying plastic streamers to our back fence (no neighbours to see it) as one of the many attempts we made to deter the deer and it made no difference at all. Like Jenny, I have found nothing that does effectively deter them. So I think your neighbours' hedge litter is, as you suspect, an unsightly waste of time.

When we put up a barrier high enough that the muntjac couldn't jump over it, they tunnelled underneath. That is when I conceded that they were more determined than I was. So I now grow the vegetables in a netting cage and let the flowering plants fend for themselves. Last year the deer broke into the vegetable nets while we were away for a week....

[Deer Hunter]

303 --- Venison Casserole ---- Bottle of Red Wine -----------Beautiful