Just whining... planted my first-ever vegetable garden this year, and
it's been doing really well, but earlier this summer, I came out to
find the tops of my bush beans munched off and a big deer hoofprint in
the soil. I strung up that black deer netting 4 feet high around the
beds, my beans recovered, and all was well for a few months.

I came home last night and went out check the garden, and those sneaky
*******s RIPPED DOWN the black netting and snacked up my bush beans
again. My husband thought it must have been neighborhood kids, but no,
we had hoofprints again.

I know my mistake was putting the netting too close to the plants; the
leaves were touching the netting in many places, so I guess they proved
to be too much temptation. Next year - 6 foot fencing three feet away
from the beds.

Grumblerumblegrrrrr.

--
Jennifer

"Jennifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just whining... planted my first-ever vegetable garden this year, and
it's been doing really well, but earlier this summer, I came out to
find the tops of my bush beans munched off and a big deer hoofprint in
the soil. I strung up that black deer netting 4 feet high around the
beds, my beans recovered, and all was well for a few months.

A four foot high fence isn't even an inconvenience for deer.

Vox Humana wrote:

A four foot high fence isn't even an inconvenience for deer.

It was inconvenient enough that they had to tear it down :/

*grumble*

yes, indeed in my neighborhood their runways run through 4 feet fences.
It only takes a few strands of electric wire, and I have seen one in
the past touch the wire and the whole group (seven) dart away and never
come close again. but even in the other garden I have that is too far
for electricity, leaving pieces of chicken wire and chainlink laying
around the perimeter proved more than they could stomach. They just
don't want to step in and risk breaking a leg. Yes, it is a pain to
remove every time I have to mow.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
news

"Jennifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just whining... planted my first-ever vegetable garden this year, and
it's been doing really well, but earlier this summer, I came out to
find the tops of my bush beans munched off and a big deer hoofprint in
the soil. I strung up that black deer netting 4 feet high around the
beds, my beans recovered, and all was well for a few months.

A four foot high fence isn't even an inconvenience for deer.



I've actually heard them whispering "Hey....let's go find a 4 foot fence and
mess with it!"

"Jennifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just whining... planted my first-ever vegetable garden this year, and
it's been doing really well, but earlier this summer, I came out to
find the tops of my bush beans munched off and a big deer hoofprint in
the soil. I strung up that black deer netting 4 feet high around the
beds, my beans recovered, and all was well for a few months.

I came home last night and went out check the garden, and those sneaky
*******s RIPPED DOWN the black netting and snacked up my bush beans
again. My husband thought it must have been neighborhood kids, but no,
we had hoofprints again.

I know my mistake was putting the netting too close to the plants; the
leaves were touching the netting in many places, so I guess they proved
to be too much temptation. Next year - 6 foot fencing three feet away
from the beds.

Grumblerumblegrrrrr.

It's war. It really is. And, the fools who run this country won't let us buy
land mines.

I can't afford the fence I want yet, so I'm struggling with half-assed
methods until next season. What's worked so far has been:

- Hang Irish Spring bar soap underneath upside down 1-quart yogurt
containers (to keep rain from washing away the soap). A friend had success
with this around his apple trees.

- I followed the soap idea with mesh bags of human hair. (Thank you, old
Italian barber guy).

These things have NOT deterred 4 rabbits and a woodchuck. It would be
legally dangerous for me to describe what's about to happen to them. :-)

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

I can't afford the fence I want yet, so I'm struggling with half-assed
methods until next season. What's worked so far has been:

- Hang Irish Spring bar soap underneath upside down 1-quart yogurt
containers (to keep rain from washing away the soap). A friend had success
with this around his apple trees.


Yes, but then you have to deal with the lepricons attracted by the Irish
Spring.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
. ..

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

I can't afford the fence I want yet, so I'm struggling with half-assed
methods until next season. What's worked so far has been:

- Hang Irish Spring bar soap underneath upside down 1-quart yogurt
containers (to keep rain from washing away the soap). A friend had
success
with this around his apple trees.


Yes, but then you have to deal with the lepricons attracted by the Irish
Spring.



I distract them by leaving 12 packs of cheap beer at the other end of the
property.

"Jennifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just whining... planted my first-ever vegetable garden this year, and
it's been doing really well, but earlier this summer, I came out to
find the tops of my bush beans munched off and a big deer hoofprint in
the soil. I strung up that black deer netting 4 feet high around the
beds, my beans recovered, and all was well for a few months.

The problem is that there are too many deer in the area to support the
population that has grown without predation. We no longer have either the
big bad wolves or pumas in the South that keep their population in check.
Under these overpopulation circumstances, deer have become the predators on
our shrubs and gardens. Another problem is that people feed the miserable
things, when the normal cycle of nature would cause many of them to starve
to death when the environment is no longer able to support their population.

Northern MN, my original home, had a reasonable balance. We had a number of
pack of timber wolves in the area that made Bambi their main food source,
and about every four or five years we had a severe enough winter to starve
many of the weaker and older deer plus all the previous spring's fawns. This
was also a time when the wolves found the deer easy pickings. Nature is good
when left to do its thing.

Before anyone says that deer were here before many people, this is something
to consider. There are far more deer in the area now than before man
arrived. They thrive in cut over and agricultural land. Controlling the
excess should be the goal of the DNR, but they protect the miserable things,
and Bambi huggers shriek whenever an organized hunt takes place in an urban
area even if every shrub and garden is decimated.

Not a deer lover....

JPS

"B & J" wrote in message
news:xP_Ae.3856$Zt.478@okepread05...

Northern MN, my original home, had a reasonable balance. We had a number
of pack of timber wolves in the area that made Bambi their main food
source,

Will timber wolves eat dogs, too? If so, I'd like to borrow a couple.

Hi,
I am an occasional lurker to the group. I have to laugh at your drastic
measures. An easy way out but not inexpensive is to buy a product called
"Liquid Fence" at your local garden store. Stuff stinks like the devil when
you first spray it but it works.


Thank you,


Natalie

What are the ingredients, Natalie?

"Mickey&Nat" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I am an occasional lurker to the group. I have to laugh at your
drastic measures. An easy way out but not inexpensive is to buy a product
called "Liquid Fence" at your local garden store. Stuff stinks like the
devil when you first spray it but it works.

Thank you,

Natalie

If you have a deer problem it is because your freezer is too small.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"B & J" wrote in message
news:xP_Ae.3856$Zt.478@okepread05...

Northern MN, my original home, had a reasonable balance. We had a number
of pack of timber wolves in the area that made Bambi their main food
source,

Will timber wolves eat dogs, too? If so, I'd like to borrow a couple.
It's interesting that you should ask, for they certainly do eat dogs. People
in our town were warned to never put their dogs out on a leash in the
winter, particularly after dark (arrived at 4:30 in December) after a number
of dogs were taken, killed, and eaten by wolves. Some friends of ours who
live in the country had a springer spaniel bitch killed this past winter
when she was allowed out after dark to use the facilities. I felt really
sorry for them, but they were also Bambi lover who fed deer in the winter,
which in turn attracted the wolves to their area. I'm sure they would be
happy to share some wolves with you. Of course, it would be your
responsibility to catch and transport them. :-)

JPS

"Mickey&Nat" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I am an occasional lurker to the group. I have to laugh at your
drastic measures. An easy way out but not inexpensive is to buy a product
called "Liquid Fence" at your local garden store. Stuff stinks like the
devil when you first spray it but it works.

Thank you,

Natalie

You're right about it working and stinking. I bought some after the Bambis
learned to avoid our electric fence by using the driveway. You're right; it
really stinks! I accidently got some on one hand when I was pulling off
rubber gloves I wear while spraying plants.

JPS