Any suggestions for deterrents of deer attacking young fruit trees?

Cpl Vic Burk — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 19:52:39 -0500

I planted five apple trees last year hoping to in a few years start harvesting them. The deer on my property decided to use them to clean the velvet off their antlers and killed them all. Outside of putting up electric fences, etc, does anyone have any suggestions? I was told the soap Irish Spring would deter them but that didn't work.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2023 7:55 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 19:55:06 -0500

Urine from a predatory animal?

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Feb 25 at 2023 7:55 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 19:55:23 -0500

Cpl Vic Burk My Uncle Paul grew Hot Peppers on His Farm and used them to Make Hot Pepper Spray to Spray on the Other Produce to Discourage Critters from the Other Produce.

Response by LTC Trent Klug made Feb 25 at 2023 8:59 PM

LTC Trent Klug — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 20:59:33 -0500

30-06 or .270

Response by CPL Douglas Chrysler made Feb 25 at 2023 9:40 PM

CPL Douglas Chrysler — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 21:40:42 -0500

Buy an extra freezer and fill it.

Response by PO2 Marco Monsalve made Feb 25 at 2023 10:15 PM

PO2 Marco Monsalve — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:15:25 -0500

Cpl Vic Burk We made homemade pepper spray for our garden. We used two methods one involved those italian hot pepper flakes (cayenne) and the other the buffalo chicken wing sauce I think it';s called Franks. You bring 2 cups water and 2 tbsp whichever pepper material you are using to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes, let it cool, strain it if you used the pepper flakes, pour the liquid into a spray bottle, and go to town. You do have to re-apply it, but it worked for us. Good luck!!

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Feb 25 at 2023 10:28 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 22:28:04 -0500

I placed corrugated perforated pipe around the trunk to protect my young apple, cherry, and pear trees. Lowes sells them in 10' length for ~$15 each. Depending on how tall your trees are, you can probably cut one into 3-4 sections for multiple trees. Just split them lengthwise and pull them apart so that you can wrap them around the trees, and you can repeat the process relatively inexpensively as your trees grow. Two years ago, I lost a cherry tree to a deer. After I did this during this past fall, I didn't have any problems at all.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 25 at 2023 11:15 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 23:15:40 -0500

According to the movie "The Rookie" human hair.

Response by SPC James Neidig made Feb 26 at 2023 12:55 AM

SPC James Neidig — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 00:55:36 -0500

I Use Moth Balls To Keep Critters Out Of My Garden, Deer Don’t Go Anywhere Near My Tomatoes , Onions And Cucumbers I Have Growing

Response by Maj John Bell made Feb 26 at 2023 2:09 AM

Maj John Bell — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 02:09:54 -0500

Cliff notes version: double fence, dogs, rifle and eat lots of venison.

For me, when their wild food is plenty, they aren't a problem. When it's scarce the garden is easy pickings, and the deer get pretty bold. I'm outside a lot and it isn't uncommon for them to be no more than 50-60 feet away, grazing without much concern in the horse/goat paddocks while I go about my business. To be honest when they're out there I don't care. But I have an extensive fruit and veggie garden (8 acres) on the farm that includes fruit trees. When they're in there I care a lot.

The link is the "expert" line of thought. Tried it all and think it's mostly BS, or more "high maintenance" than I am interested in.
-If you're counting on a fence, it needs to be about 8ft.
-Deer are smart and most of the noise makers and motion detectors are only effective for a few days.
-If you want to stop browsing on the foliage, I've seen them stand on their hind legs and strip the vegetation and bark from limbs well away from the trunk at 5+ft. Take that into account when you think about tree wraps. The wraps are good for rabbits and that's about it.
-Also make sure you aren't providing access to a safe watering point (Koi Pond, pool, puddle, dog water dish, etc.) Easy water draws them in. Unfortunately, we are on a natural route for them to water at the lake shore in the night.

My final solution:
I re-arranged the farm outlay to bring the garden in close to the house. Even then, the only thing that really worked for me was to include the garden in the dog run. The dogs have access to the run 24/7. During the day, when the weather is good and I'm not around, the dogs are confined to the run. Then outside the garden fence, I ran a single solar powered high visibility electric hot line about 6 ft away from the garden fence and chest high to a deer. That prevents them from getting a running start at a jump.

Still looked out to see a deer in the garden on occasion before I added the dogs. Without the dogs, they'd just move around and eat on the run while I endlessly chased them. It was a source of amusement to everyone but me.

I also get nuisance tags that allow me to take some deer out of season. We eat a lot of venison.

https://pestpointers.com/how-to-keep-deer-away-from-your-trees-7-simple-tips/#:~:text=How%20to%20Keep%20Deer%20Away%20From%20Your%20Trees,Items%20...%208%20There%20you%20have%20it%21%20

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Response by PO2 Reta Russell Houghton made Feb 26 at 2023 3:05 AM

PO2 Reta Russell Houghton — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 03:05:02 -0500

Try sprinkling bone meal around you plants. They smell blood but no concept of how long it has been there.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Feb 26 at 2023 7:57 PM

Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 19:57:04 -0500

One buy a .17HMR...TWO...put a homemade silencer on it... three...start shooting and barbequing!

Seriously...go to your local barber and have them get you a trash bag of hair clippings the sweep up...put them on a circle around the trees...the human scent will drive them away...also hang twonpie plates on string where they clank with the wind and the noise drives them away as well...shop rags drenched in ammonia on sticks and placed around them works to...had a deer problem on our farm...there is also a chemical formula you can buy at the coop and spray and it stinks to high heaven but it works...I think the rifle option is the best though.

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made Feb 27 at 2023 5:35 AM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 05:35:16 -0500

HUH....This Is A PROBLEM?
I Have A Guaranteed And Permanent Solution.
And THIS Will Make Them Disappear Forever,
~ Kill'm & Eat'm ~
Guaranteed To Work, And It'll Work Immediately,
Or MY Name Ain't Jose Gonzales, Of Ecuador...

Response by PFC Thomas Pendley made Feb 28 at 2023 3:24 AM

PFC Thomas Pendley — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 03:24:50 -0500

A rifle.

Response by PFC Thomas Pendley made Feb 28 at 2023 3:25 AM

PFC Thomas Pendley — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 03:25:12 -0500

A rifle.

Response by Sgt Ed Allen made Apr 11 at 2023 10:31 PM

Sgt Ed Allen — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 22:31:55 -0400

There is a commercially available product that I was able to get from one of the big name hardware stores. The product is for deer and rabbit and comes in a granular form. It is specifically used to repel deer and rabbits from the area. I used it for my vegetable garden because the critters were munching on my lettuce and tomatoes. It seems to work.

The product is Everguard Deer and Rabbit.

Might be worth a try for you.

Response by A1C Marion Mills made May 11 at 2023 6:53 AM

A1C Marion Mills — Thu, 11 May 2023 06:53:24 -0400

Don't kill your garden snakes. Deer don't know they're harmless. They only know they wiggle like the poisonous ones.