# Deer Advice



## neals645 (Apr 7, 2008)

Any advice on how to deal with wildlife traffic thru the layout, especially deer? My yard is unfenced and the deer have an established trail right where my future layout is going to go. 

I'm thinking some kind of heavy duty roadbed will be necessary. Thoughts? 

Neal


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe elevate it so they go around it rather than over it. You can't beat them, so you have to work with them.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

I have found that a 30-06 to a 7 MM Remington mag does the work pretty well! 

For thiose who don't like noise, you could always use a compound bow....that also works pretty well. 

If these examples don't suite you I think you can purchase a commercially available powder or what ever that you spread on the ground and it will keep them at bay....that I am not as sure of as the guns. 

I have also heard that a certain plant will work but both of the last remities names escapes me....maybe this will get some more responses with names. 

But never ever buy the Buck lure and spread it on the ground or bucks will show up looking for the girls and be pretty pissed off when there aren't any! 

I like the 7 mm best! 

Bubba


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

Perhaps you could figure out a way to divert them along the edge of the property and away from the layout.


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## neals645 (Apr 7, 2008)

Come on out for bow season, Madstang. Starts August 30 here in JVille, OR. But leave that 30-06 at home - we live in city limits and discharging firearms isn't allowed. Think the deer have figured that out!


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

There was a discussion here some time last year about a motion detector that turned on a water spray that some said worked fairly well, not only for deer but other small destructive animals (and maybe a burglar or two!)


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I think Kevin said he used plastic bags, tied them to various trees. Not much wind moves them around and scares the deer.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

To follow up on Bubba's thoughts, I have two friends that can help, Mr Remmington and Mr. Weatherby. I've got a great recipie for vennison thurenger sausage, and a terrific slow cooked BBQ recipie as well, great with pork or vennison..


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

If you cannot shoot them (I prefer 30-06 as well), then get a big dog, or just go to www.deerout.com


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

Neal 
I was talking to a friend at work today and he said he gets human hair from the beauty shop and puts it around his garden. He has not had any problem with deer since. You may have to add more every once in a while. He says it's the best thing to use. Also it's free. Just have a local shop save you some.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I've heard of the hair thing before.


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## Rich Florence (Jan 2, 2008)

I have (had) the same problem. I got 2 of those motion sensor water scarecrows and hooked 
them in tandem. Took care of the problem. Works on humans, too.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

There's a very detailed description in the following link about one person's attempt to deal with deer. It was marginally successful but it does reveal a new technique in deer control...and the author does specifically recite a bunch of lessons learned on what worked and what didn't work. Scroll down the page to read the details. 

click here


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## Ward H (Jan 5, 2008)

Mike, 
That was great! Thanks for posting the link.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

OK...we got a new gizmo that can help defend against deer....a wirelessly controlled paintball turret gun...fires up to 50 rounds per second. 










Only $2000....such a deal! 

http://evolutionmodeltechnology.com/Paintball%20Turrets.html


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Unfortunately, you have to be there to run the gun at all times. The hours you are asleep are the times the dear deer will wander through. If you automate it such that it fires at any "body" movement then you run the risk if hitting the meter reader, mailman, neighbor's hired surveyor, and any number of people that might have a valid excuse to be on your property and could sue the property out from under you if you hit them (or even seemed to come close).


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

CT.....that was a joke...on the other hand, it sure would be fun to wait up all night...and blast away


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

The hair works! At least for a while, but it needs to be renewed occasionally. 

Last year I lost all the Cannas, lugustrums and agapanthas to deer and rabbits. I tried several things, but the best so far is garlic oil and hot cayenne pepper spray! The garlic oil is a commercial product to be mixed with water and a drop or two of soap. Add the ground cayenne pepper and spray the plants every couple of days for a about 2 weeks and it trains them off, they'll leave them alone but you'll need to respray after you water or it rains and then about every week to two weeks depending on the general conditions in your area. 

Try A.M. Leonard or Gempler's on line for the garlic oil. 

When it's dry here in west Texas, the yard and the farm fields next door are the only thing green and you can't stop them from trying to brouse the forbs and woody shrubs. 

Good luck


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

There are several sights dealing with the deer problem. All of them talk about various techniques for scaring away deer. However, the bottom line on 

most of what I read was DEER FENCING. It seems that the soap, dried blood, scarecrows, what have you just don't work 100% of the time.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

You could also just spray EVERYTHING with "RoundUp" (tm)... deer won't eat it if its dead.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I think I'll leave the deer alone


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## markperr (Jan 7, 2008)

You could always put up a coule of deer crossing signs. That way the deer will know where to cross!! 

Mark


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## rchawk49 (Jan 3, 2008)

I also have a deer problem where we live. Unfortunately, all our deer seem to be tame. I watched them playing "tag" with one of our cats the other day!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 
BUT........I may have found a solution. It has worked for some weeks with NO new footprints in the layout or any "munching" on the greens. 

Take a look at: www.wirelessdeerfence.com 

Sorry, don't know how to "link" the site./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/unsure.gif 
Hawk


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## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

Place a bar of "Irish Spring" soap in a nylon (get permission) and hang it in a tree, etc. Deer do not like the smell. Use more than one if necessary.


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## neals645 (Apr 7, 2008)

Thanks all, for the great advice, fun discusssion and links! 
Neal


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I read in one of the extension office sites that Dial soap would do the job. I tried it last year without success.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Unfortunately this seems to be somehting I'll need to consider at some point. Last ngiht while sitting at the dinner table I noticed way off thru the field behind our house that the church down the street owns up along the border of teh trees that separate the Interstate and that field behind us was three deer. By the time i gto the binoculars out they had disappeared back into the woods. The kicker is the the woods right there are only about 50 feet deep to the interstate and as you travel to the right in our point of view or rather East the woods compleately disappear. You can see the church from the interestate as you drive by at 65 plus MPH. This is the second time this spring summer we've seen them back there. I'm sure the puppy spooked them back in although we didn't here him moving I'm sure they knew he was outside on his lead. They kept an eye on our house as they moved back into the woods. That may be enough to deter them for us but something tells me I doubt it. 

Chas


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't have to worry about deer, but we do have wild horses! My neighbor called one day and said that I had 1/1 horses on my railroad. Fortunately no damage. My uncle in Washington says if you build a deer fence make it high to start with. If you start low and keep raising it the deer just jump higher. He started at 4 feet and ended up at 12 before it kept the deer out!


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## Al McEvoy (Jan 3, 2008)

Don't know how "Dial" got recommended. "Irish Spring" brand soap was the original suggestion. I have tried that and it works if you sprinkle ample shavings around (not dump a whole bar in the garden bed) - but it melts on the rain so you need to replenish it. Fencing is only effective if it is maybe 7 or 8 ft high. We watch deer routinely jump our neighbor's 4 ft.-high fence without much effort.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

I hung bars of Dial soap from tree limbs. I'll have to try the Irish Spring shavings next time. I've been sprinkiling dried blood fertilizer, but my 

wife suggests that too much of it could burn the plants.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

It slices, It dices, It does Julian frys. It makes soap chips for the garden to keep out deer. Yes my friends no kitchen or garden railroad should be with out VEG-O-MATIC. 

Does your wife have a GREATER? The thing used to make Hash Browns, grate cheese for pizza or salads? 
Buy the spanish modle ( EL CHEAPO) and use it to make your soap chips. 
You can use it right out in the wilds. Just grate as you walk around the garden. 
Becarefull as the bar of soap get's small. Graters are **** on skin /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Not sure if this will work with Deer, but it worked with a cayote that made her den under my shed that was on the lower part of my father in laws property. 
I used a spray bottle filled with amonia and sprayed all around the shed and up in the game trail and the hole the cayote dug under our fence. I did this about 2 x a week for about a month and she never came back. 
I noticed that the deer stopped coming too. They used to jump the 6 foot fence surround my father - in - laws 2 acres and drink from the pool. It didn't seem to matter to them that the cayote was there, but they stopped coming when I started spraying.


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## rchawk49 (Jan 3, 2008)

Just as an update on my Wireless Deer Fence. It has been about 6 weeks now, since we started using it and we have ZERO footprints within the ROW. We placed an even dozen of these little gems around the garden perimeter. I have witnessed several deer sniffing or licking the bait, and the four legged acrobatics are great.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds like fun! You might find yourself wishing they'd come around again.


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